Wildflower
by Tejanochica
Summary: There's a new girl in Konoha, well not exactly new, but the gang's certianly never seen her before, and with her she brings her tale of mystery and betrayal!
1. Chapter 1

"So, how exactly did you get into this state?" The doctor questioned with an arched eyebrow, looking over the charts in his hand.

"What state would that be?" The patient asked with a faux smile on her face.

"The one where you have four cracked ribs, a punctured lung, a dislocated shoulder and a broken femur, not to mention the countless bruises and cuts," the doctor said with a sigh, the name on the chart was Jizouko, a name that was not entirely unknown in the hospital.

"Oh, that one…" Jizouko's smile immediately dropped. "Occupational hazard?" She tried, a sheepish grin now adorning her features.

There was another sigh from the doctor, the chart said that she was only 13; most girls that age were attending the Academy and getting broken hearts instead of limbs.

"I'm going to have to speak with your legal guardian, Jizouko. This is getting out of hand," he was too old to deal with this, and she was definitely too young to have this happening to her.

"Uh… Yeah, about that…" She started reaching to rub the back of her head but the tugging of the tubes she was connected to halted the motion. _If I tell him that I don't have one then they'll put me in an orphanage for sure… But who can I get to be my guardian?_

The doctor looked like he was about ready to call the Hokage about this, not a good sign for Jizouko. "He's out of the village right now!" She blurted in an attempt to buy time.

"And who might 'he' be?" The doctor asked skeptically with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Uh… Moriyama Takeshi…" _Does he even still remember me?_

"Is that so?" The doctor's eyebrow was raised once again questioningly. "That's funny; your last names don't match. In fact, you don't have a last name at all."

"Uh… Yeah!" _Light bulb!_ "He's my mom's brother's cousin's uncle's aunt's nephew's adopted son." _Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it!_

The doctor must have heard her silent pleas because even though he obviously didn't buy the story, he said "Very well, if Mr. Moriyama isn't in Konoha at the moment then I'll just have to talk to your sensei."

"Have fun with that!" Jizouko called out as the doctor turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Wakey-wakey!" A voice called out obnoxiously throughout the quiet hospital room.<p>

Jizouko groaned as she cracked open a gold-flecked purple eye. "Unless you're here to tell me that I'm able to leave now, I'd suggest you leave, Jiro," she grumbled upon recognizing her visitor.

"Don't be absurd!" He scoffed, "You've only been here a day and you got a hole in one of your lungs! There's no way that they're gonna let you leave!"

"My point exactly…" She muttered, turning her head away from him.

"Takashi told me what happened…" He started again, all his humor from before gone. "You do know that you could've died, right?"

_Tattle tale!_ Jizouko accused in her head as she winced slightly, but made no other acknowledgement to the statement.

"Please stop," Jiro pleaded, causing Jizouko to snap her head in his direction. "Before you get hurt any worse."

Jizouko continued to stare wide eyed at her visitor, trying to absorb what he had just said.

"I…" She tried to protest, but the words died on her lips when she saw the look on Jiro's face. "… Okay" She conceded after a few moments.

"Thank you," he said, giving a sigh of relief. "I'll see you when they let you out!" He called out was he left the room, his good humor had returned.

* * *

><p>The longer that Jizouko stayed in the hospital, the more her small white room seemed like a sterile prison cell. Her doctor refused to release her to anyone that wasn't Takeshi, much to her dismay.<p>

_That was definitely not the best idea that I've ever had… _She thought bitterly as she stared out the window of her room.

On the bright side she was getting her cast off today and her arm was already out of its sling so all she had to worry about was her ribs and lung, which were healing nicely according to her doctor.

Her brooding was interrupted by the door opening, which she didn't acknowledge because she thought it was a nurse coming to take her to get her cast removed.

"Girl, I am surprised that you're not covered with burns, because you are lying through your teeth!" A voice stated from the doorway.

Jizouko quickly turned to look at her visitor. It was a tall, muscular man with messy brown hair and emerald green eyes dressed in the standard ANBU uniform and a mask in his hand.

"What? No greeting for your obscure relative? I'm hurt, Stripes," he said with barely suppressed laughter.

Jizouko's eye twitched slightly at the old nickname at referred to her purple streaked brown hair, but remained silent none the less.

"Or maybe I should call you Piercings…" He mused, stroking an imaginary beard.

Jizouko just turned and gave him a blank look.

"I'm serious! I could lead you around the village with a magnet! How much metal did you get put into your ears since the last time I saw you?"

Jizouko lifted a hand to feel her ears. Her fingertips were met by a small thick hoop followed by a thin small hop and a tiny gauge on the lobe, her digits reached up farther to her cartilage and felt two thick small hoops.

"The last time you saw me I was seven, Takeshi…" She reminded him in a soft tone.

"Yeah…" He said, looking almost ashamed. "But I'm here now and apparently your legal guardian, so we get to catch up on six years of lost bonding!" He said over enthusiastically, clapping his hands for added affect.

Jizouko just stared at him unbelievingly. _Did he really just do that?_

"Come on, let's get that cast off and put some real food into you, not the slop the hospital feeds you." Takeshi grinned, earning a small smile from his new charge.

* * *

><p>"So how did you end up in the hospital?" Takeshi asked as he sipped his green tea.<p>

"Your doctor said it was because of a training exercise that got out of hand, but your injuries were much more serious than that scenario would cause," he said with a slight frown as he observed Jizouko carefully.

"It was exactly that, a training exercise that got out of hand," she explained with a wave of her hand through a mouthful of soba.

"Mhm…" Takeshi hummed, taking another sip. "And when exactly did you decide that things were out of hand? After you broke the biggest bone in your body? Or when you started breathing blood?" He accused in a harsh tone.

"Cut the crap, what were you really doing? Trying to kill yourself?" He demanded, setting his cup down with a definite thunk.

Jizouko stared down at her noodles as if they held the answer that she needed.

"A few months back, on our last big mission…" She started haltingly, still staring at her food. "I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach..." She placed a hand on her abdomen. "It's hard to explain, but… It was like… Tension, you know? Like a rubber band that's about to snap…" Her hand clenched, grabbing a fist full of her white tank top.

"And then it snapped… I snapped…and this feeling washed over me… It was like all the wind from a hurricane came coursing through my veins…" Takeshi raised an eyebrow at this, but she didn't notice. "And then… Nothing." She said, releasing her grip on her shirt and looking up at Takeshi who had regained his composure.

"Mirai and Takashi told me that I screamed… And that a wave of chakra totally destroyed everything in a ten meter radius." Her grip tightened around her chopsticks. "I want to know what that was, not because I want to use it, but in case I have to." There was an almost unreadable light in her eyes, a mixture of need, curiosity and maybe even fear.

She moved her hand to rest beside her bowl as she began toying with her noodles. "We were trying to recreate what had happened… Me and Takashi…" She admitted looking back down at the noodles she was pushing around with her chopsticks. "Mirai didn't want us to… But we did anyway. And that brings us to the part where I claimed we were remotely related and, well, you know the rest…" She said, looking up with a sheepish grin on her face.

Takeshi looked into her eyes for a long moment before taking another sip of his tea. "You should've looked in the library first."

"What?"

"You should've looked in the library first," he repeated slowly, "they have all kinds of manuscripts and scrolls on jutsu and kekei genkais, they probably have on describing something like what happened to you," he explained, leaning back in his seat.

"So you're supporting my potentially self-destructive goal?" Jizouko asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No. I'm merely offering an alternative solution that you didn't think of, difference," he corrected, taking another sip of his tea.

Slowly a grin broke out across Jizouko's face, "I'll take that under advisement." She said as she took another bite of food.


	2. Chapter 2

Today was officially not a good day for Jizouko, and it wasn't even 8:00 yet!

It had all started around midnight when Takeshi had come home from a mission and booted her out of the only bed in the tiny apartment they shared. This caused her to sleep on the floor, which wouldn't have been so bad if Takeshi didn't snore (which he vehemently denies). Then, when she finally fell asleep she had a nightmare, and when she woke up in a cold sweat the clock was flashing 3:41 am in red numbers. She decided to try for a few more hours of sleep, but only after she shoved a pair of socks into Takeshi's mouth, effectively cutting off his snores.

When she woke up again it was to a pillow being thrown at her head. Takeshi was not pleased to find socks in his mouth when he woke up. The clock read 7:32; she may as well get up.

She groggily made her way to what they jokingly called the kitchen, which was really just a stove and oven appliance, a secondhand microwave and a refrigerator that she suspected was once white shoved into a corner.

She opened the fridge door, hoping to find something edible while Takeshi make his way to the bathroom, muttering about getting the tasted of feet out of his mouth.

Jizouko rolled her eyes at this; _He totally brought this onto himself. _She scoffed in her mind before leaning down to inspect the contents of the fridge. Nothing.

"Just my luck." She grumbles, slamming the door and straightening up.

_May as well check the freezer,_ She sighed, _maybe we bought a frozen meal and forgot about it…_

She opened the small door and jumped back screaming. There was a head in the freezer!

Takeshi came bursting out of the bathroom, a small glob of toothpaste on his chin. "What is it?" He demanded franticly, "Enemy ninja?"

"Why is there a human head in the freezer?" Jizouko screeched, pointing at said body part.

"Oh… That," Takeshi said all signs of his worry from earlier gone. "I need to turn that in to Lord Hokage today, I almost forgot about it…" He finished as he wiped his chin with the back of his hand.

"Get it out of here!" Jizouko screamed, about ready to start hitting him.

"Okay, okay! Jeeze…" He muttered, reaching for the head.

"Don't touch it!"

"Then how do you suggest I get rid of it?"

"Just take it!"

"God, you're such a girl!" Takeshi sighed as he grabbed the head and made his way to the door. "Oh, and Jizouko, one more thing!" He said, turning around in the doorway. Once he was sure that he had her attention he raised the head and grabbed its chin. "Good morning sunshine." He said in a funny voice, moving the chin so it looked like the head was speaking.

"Get out of here, you freak!" She yelled, throwing the nearest thing, which happened to be an empty instant ramen container.

Takeshi just laughed it off, catching the trash and walking away.

* * *

><p>It had been about a month since Jizouko was released from the hospital. Well, four weeks and three days, but who's counting?<p>

In that one month she and Takeshi had fallen into a sort of rhythm, he would be away on missions most of the time so she was free to do as she wished so long as she didn't end up needing medical attention on those days, but when he returned from those missions it was like those six years never even existed. They bickered like brother and sister over the stupidest things but would always make up in the end.

Also in that one month Jizouko was not allowed on missions with her team, much to her disappointment. Mostly due to the fact that her ribs and lung were still recovering from the earlier fiasco, and also because her sensei wanted to teach her a lesson on not listening to Mirai (who was often hailed as the smartest member of the team).

So for that one month Jizouko would either be wandering around the village of searching the library for answers. The only highlight was when the Hokage monument got a facelift by that Uzumaki kid, which officially made her week.

So here she was at the library again, surrounded by a mountain of scrolls and books.

**A long time ago, long before the formation of the five great shinobi countries, there was a clan of nomads known as the Yamakaze clan. Once in their travels they came across an old lady. The old lady asked for shelter from the night, and in return she promised them a gift. She needn't offer anything in return and the clan leader insisted that she keep her gift.**

**Then an amazing thing happened. The old lady transformed into a goddess! She told the leader that she was sorry for her deception, but she wished to test his heart, and that for his charity she would grant him and his clan the ability to travel on the very winds themselves, and to him and his descendants she would grant the ability to channel all the four winds, North, South, East, and Wels.**

**Because this was the goddess of the winds—**

_The Hell? This sounds like a bedtime story!_ Jizouko scoffed in her mind as she turned the book to look at its cover.

_**100 Myths and Legends—**__Close enough! What was this doing in with all the things on jutsu? _She wondered as she tossed the book into her reject pile, guessing it was due to poor sorting.

* * *

><p>It was close to lunch time when Jizouko got her next break. It came in the form of a journal that belonged to a clan leader around the time of the First Hokage. The name on the inside of the cover was Yamakaze Toshiro.<p>

_Like in that old story? _She thought with a raised brow as she turned the page.

**The following will most likely be the only account of my clan that isn't obscured by myth or told around a camp fire.**

_Well… That's reassuring… _Jizouko thought dryly as she flipped to one of the middle pages.

**The Makaze is showing itself less and less among the younger generations, perhaps that is for the best. It manifests itself during times of great stress, so it is not likely to appear in those living in theses much more peaceful times. Though I fear for those who will awaken it in the future and have no one to teach them how to use it properly, it is a dangerous technique that takes a tremendous toll on the body.**

_Times of great stress, great toll on the body, no one around to explain anything. Sounds like what's happening to me…_ She thought, turning to one of the last pages.

**I have spoken to a seer about the future of the bloodline. She told me that a young shinobi in this village would reawaken the Makaze in a future generation, so I'm filling these final pages with instructions on how to use the Makaze and leaving this here in hopes of it being found by that shinobi. I wish them the best of luck.**

_That's not ominous at all…_

"Hey, Jizouko!" A voice called behind her.

She sighed and closed the journal before turning to face the source. "You know I haven't quite forgiven you for what happened this morning, Takeshi…"

"Eh, I'd like to think it was worth it," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Let me make it up to you by buying you lunch."

Jizouko rolled her eyes at this; food was not likely to put him back into her good graces. "Fine, just let me check this book out first."


	3. Chapter 3

Jizouko stared thoughtfully at the book's worn cover as she ran her fingers down the spine. The librarian had told her that the book didn't belong to the library so she didn't have to bring it back, but that just left her in a state of confusion.

_How'd you end up there?_ She wondered with a furrowed brow.

"Hello! Earth to Jizouko!" Takeshi called into her ear, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"I've been trying to tell you that your food's here for the last few minutes. You better start eating before the noodles start stretching," he explained, slurping his own ramen.

She just grunted and took a bite of her food.

"Anyhow, I'm going to be away in a mission for the next few weeks," he started between mouthfuls. "I talked to one of my old buddies and he's agreed to look after you."

"I've been on my own for the last six years; I **think **I can look after myself. Besides, it's not like you've never left on my own before." She said with a frown.

"Oh relax!" Takeshi placated with a scoff. "All those other missions were just a day or two; this one's going to be at least three weeks. You're just going to train and do missions with him and his genin squad!"

"Do I _have_ to? They're probably fresh out of the Academy!" She complained exasperatedly.

"So? You're the same rank, it shouldn't be _that_ bad."

"But!"

"No arguments! I'm taking you to meet them after you finish, so eat up!"

_I hate you so much right now._ Jizouko thought as she glared daggers at her guardian, but complied anyway.

"It better not be an old pervert." She muttered as she took another bite.

* * *

><p>"You're a dirty rotten liar, Takeshi, and I in no way regret putting dirty socks in your mouth." Jizouko stated with her arms crossed and sending an angry look at the brown haired male.<p>

"Ha ha, I have no idea what you're talking about." He denied with a forced laugh.

"You told me that he wasn't an old pervert! Look at the book he's reading!"

"I said he wasn't old, difference."

In response to this Jizouko punched him in the arm. "I hope that leaves a bruise, you jerk!"

"Yeah, yeah," he turned to leave with a slight wave. "Love you too. See you in a few weeks!"

"I hope you fall down a very deep hole and only come out when you've realized the full extent of the trauma you've caused me today!" She yelled after him.

All through this little episode Takeshi's buddy and his team of genin were standing off to the side and trying to figure out what was happening.

"I'm guessing you're the kid Takeshi was talking about…" The sensei trailed off, only to be fixed with a look that screamed "You think?"

He cleared his throat before continuing, "I'm Hatake Kakashi, and this is my Team.

"Haruno Sakura," The pink haired girl waved nervously, not sure how to act around this new comer.

"Uzumaki Naruto," The blond boy tilted his head and stared inquisitively at Jizouko, he had never seen anyone with so dark a skin tone before.

"And Uchiha Sasuke." The dark haired boy looked on uninterestedly; this was probably just some weak loser who couldn't go on a mission with their team.

"And you are?" Kakashi asked, gesturing towards her boredly.

She was about to answer when she was interrupted by Naruto. "Who are you? Are you really a ninja? Where's your hitai-ate? How come I've never seen you before? And what's with the weird hair and all the piercings? Are you some sort of rebel?" Jizouko seriously doubted that he took a breath between any of those questions.

" Naruto! Don't be rude!" Sakura exclaimed as she hit him on the head.

"Tell us about yourself, it seems like you'll be with us for a while…" The silver haired jounin trailed off.

Jizouko stared at him for a long moment before asking, "Like what?"

"Like your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, stuff like that." He explained as his team looked in interest (mild interest in the case of the Uchiha).

"My name's Jizouko," She started after giving a blank stare, "I like poetry, romantic candle lit dinners, and long walks on the beach, I have no dislikes because I just _love_ everything," she said in a fake sugary voice, "My dream is to one day sprout wings and fly off leaving a trail of rainbows and hearts everywhere I go, and my hobbies are getting metal shoved into my ears and training." You could practically see the sarcasm dripping off of every word she said.

The group stared at her for a long moment as they digested the information. "Okay, I _might_ have lied on a few things…" She trailed off with a grin.

"You think?" Naruto yelled.

"All we really learned about you is your name and that you're a pathological liar! Honestly, you're worse than Sensei!" Sakura sighed exaggeratedly.

"Well, anyways," Jizouko started as she laced her fingers behind her head, "I'm probably not going to be able to hang with you guys that much because the stupid hospital hasn't given me a bill of clean health yet. For example, I have to go now for a checkup, so bye!" She said before turning around to leave the clearing.


	4. Chapter 4

I would like to thank RandomNinja239 for the review, it meant a lot to me :]]

* * *

><p>"So can I go on missions now?" Jizouko asked excitedly as she swung her feet dangling over the side of the examination table.<p>

"Yes," the doctor said as he looked over her charts. "But you should take it easy, your ribs will be tender for the next few weeks, and if I see you back here before the month is over I can't be held responsible for what I might do," he threatened as he looked at her over the frames of his glasses.

"I think I can live with that," she said with a cheeky smile as she hopped off the table and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>"I heard you got officially released from the hospital today," a blond woman said from beside Jizouko.<p>

"And where did you hear that, Kyoko-san?" Jizouko asked as she ate her dango.

"I know a guy who works there," Kyoko grinned coyly. "Let's go shopping to celebrate!" She suggested hopefully.

"Uh, maybe later…" Jizouko said, "I have to go to training or something like that…"

"Oh come on!" Kyoko whined, "The only time I see you is when you're eating all the food at my house, why don't you want to be seen with me any other time?"

"Fine," Jizouko sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to win this argument. "Not like I do anything at training anyways." It was true, for the past two weeks the only thing that Jizouko had done was watch Sakura flirt one sidedly with Sasuke and Naruto get into one sided fights with Sasuke. Apparently all the action on that team circled around the young Uchiha.

"Yay!" Kyoko cheered as she clapped her hands excitedly. "I'll give you a haircut, too!"

* * *

><p>"Today was very productive, if I may say so myself," Kyoko said with a smile as she trimmed Jizouko's two toned hair that went about halfway down her neck. Jizouko grunted in response, she hadn't enjoy the excursion nearly as much as the older girl.<p>

"You should really consider growing out your hair, Jizouko-chan," Kyoko stated as she ran her fingers through the girl's hair. "It would look really pretty and the boys would be all over you. Not that you have any problems in that department, or so I've heard," she gave a knowing wink as she finished.

"What are you talking about?" Jizouko asked as she blinked confusedly. "Do you own the rumor mill or something? Who do you keep hearing these things from?"

"Well if you don't know then I'm not going to tell you!" Kyoko huffed as she crossed her arms. "But I'll give you a hint," she started as she raised a pinky, "he's cute."

Jizouko stared blankly at the blond before sighing and getting up. "Thanks for the haircut and headache, Kyoko-san," she said as she made her way to the door.

"Anytime!" Kyoko chirped happily.

* * *

><p>"Man, these missions sure are boring," Jizouko complained. "Is it at all possible that we could get something interesting this time?" She asked the man in charge of assigning missions.<p>

"No," the man said, "you're a part of a genin team, you only get D-ranked missions."

Jizouko's eye twitched slightly at this statement. _What's that supposed to mean?_

"Now, Kakashi's team 7, your next duty is," the Hokage started as he picked up a sheet of paper. "Hmmm… Babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighboring village, and help with the potato digging," he read off the list.

"No, no, no! No thank you!" Naruto yelled in protest as he made an X in front of himself with his arms. "I want to do a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!" He demanded.

_Don't waste your breath_, Jizouko thought bitterly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You idiot! You're just a rookie!" The man seated next to the Hokage shouted as he slammed his palms down against the table. "Everyone starts off with the simple duties and works their way up!"

_Which I already did with my real team, so why do I have to do it again?_ Jizouko asked in her mind as she gave a heavy sigh.

"But! But we keep getting the crappiest possible duties!" Naruto yelled in protest.

"Be quiet you!" Kakashi ordered as he punched his student in the head.

"Naruto-kun, it seems like I have to explain to you what these duties are all about," the Hokage stated.

_Oh Lord!_ Jizouko thought as the old man began his explanation. She had been given this lecture years ago when she first became a ninja, and now she had to sit through it again.

_Yeah yeah, all the requests are ranked according to difficulty and assigned to shinobi based on how qualified they are for the mission, blah blah blah. Is it standard to give this to all of the new genin or am I just lucky enough to be on the teams that get this lecture?_ She sighed in her head as she ignored the Hokage's much longer explanation for the ranking system.

"Last night I had pork ramen, so miso sounds good for—" Naruto muttered as he sat on the ground with his back to the village leader.

"Hey! Listen!" The Hokage roared angrily when he saw that his words were going unheeded.

"I-I apologize," Kakashi stammered as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Jeeze, all you ever do is give lectures like that," Naruto grumbled as he turned to face the old man. "But you know what? I'm not the troublemaking brat you still think I am!" He declared at the end before turning back around and puffing out his cheeks.

_I swear to the various gods that if they give us a better mission because of that I'm going to be __**so**__ pissed!_ Jizouko decided in her mind as the two men thought about what Naruto had just said.

"Okay," the Hokage gave in, "if you want it that much I'll give you a C-rank mission. It's a protection mission of a certain individual."

_You have got to be kidding me!_ Jizouko deadpanned as her eye twitched slightly.

"Yay!" Naruto cheered from the floor. "Who? Who? A Feudal Lord? A princess?" He guessed excitedly.

"Calm down," the Hokage ordered, "I'm about to introduce him. Hey," he called out, "will you come in here?"

"What's this?" A gruff voice asked as an elderly man walked in. "They're all a bunch of super brats," the man decided as he took a swig of sake. "Especially the shortest one with the super stupid-looking face," he stated as he leaned against the doorframe. "Are you really a ninja?" He asked.

"Ha ha, who's the shortest one with the stupid face?" Naruto trailed off when he saw that he was indeed the shortest one there. "I'll kill you!" He yelled as he flailed in Kakashi's grip.

"What's the point of killing the person we're supposed to protect? Idiot!" Kakashi reprimanded as he held his struggling student back.

"I am the super expert bridge builder, Tazuna," the old man introduced himself. "I expect you to provide me super protection until I get back to my country and complete the bridge."


	5. Chapter 5

Dear RandomNinja239, thanks for the review! Imma try to finishe at least the Zabuza arc before I go back to school, but I can't make any pronises after that, lo siento :'/

* * *

><p>The next morning the group set off for the Land of Waves, Tazuna's home country. Jizouko yawned tiredly as she adjusted the strap of her satchel, she had to stay up late the night before to pack because she had to do laundry first. <em>I think Takeshi's bachelor ways are wearing off on me…<em>

"Let's go!" Naruto cheered excitedly as he raised his arms into the air.

"What are you so excited about?" Sakura asked with her hands on her hips.

"'Cause I've never left the village before," he explained as he looked around with a big grin on his face.

"Wow, you really are a greenhorn," Jizouko blinked in realization.

"Hey! Am I really going to be safe with this brat?" Tazuna demanded as he pointed at the blond boy.

"Ha ha," Kakashi laughed nervously "Well, I am a jounin, don't worry."

"Hey, old man!" Naruto yelled to get Tazuna's attention. "Don't mess with ninjas! I'm incredible! One day, I will take on the super elite ninja title, Hokage!" He declared as he pointed a finger. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it!"

"Hokage is the village's number one ninja, right?" Tazuna asked as he took another drink of alcohol. "I doubt someone like you could become it…"

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled as he began shaking a fist. "I am prepared to do anything to become Hokage! Once I become Hokage, you will acknowledge me!"

"No, I won't, you brat," Tazuna contested, "even if you did become Hokage."

_Harsh_, Jizouko thought as she laced her fingers behind her head.

"I'll kill you!" Naruto exclaimed as Kakashi had to hold him back.

"I said stop, moron," Kakashi sighed.

"This is going to be a long mission," Jizouko sighed as she started walking.

* * *

><p>"Umm, Tazuna-san?" Sakura asked nervously.<p>

"What?" The old man responded gruffly.

"You're from the Land of Waves, right?"

"What about it?"

"Umm, Kakashi-sensei? Do they have ninjas in that country too?" She asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

_Good Lord!_ Jizouko sighed, _Don't they teach that stuff in the Academy?_ She remembered having to memorize the countries that had shinobi villages for a grade when she went there. _The curriculum must be failing…_ She decided as she dropped back from the group slightly so she didn't have to listen to the old lesson.

"But, don't worry," Kakashi reassured as he patted Sakura on the head. "There won't be any ninja combat in a C-rank mission."

"Then, we won't come in contact with foreign ninjas?" She asked in relief, causing Jizouko to roll her eyes.

"Of course not! Ha ha ha!" Kakashi laughed it off.

From her place behind the group Jizouko saw Tazuna hang his head slightly. _Something tells me that we just might meet some enemies on this road trip after all_, she thought as a small smirk found its way onto her face.

* * *

><p>As the group continued walking they passed a small puddle in the middle of the road. <em>Really? It hasn't rained in days<em>, Jizouko sighed as she kicked a small stone into the puddle and picked up her pace to catch up to the others. She knew that Kakashi would notice it so she had nothing to worry about.

She heard the attackers behind them and turned around to see two shinobi with chains connecting their clawed gloves at the wrist. The duo quickly wrapped Kakashi with the chain and began to pull it tight. The others around her gave shouts of surprise which caused Jizouko's eye to twitch slightly, _if you had been paying attention then you wouldn't be so shocked!_

"One down," one of the enemies chuckled in a low voice as they pulled the chain so it sliced Kakashi into pieces.

Sakura screamed in horror as Naruto called out to his teacher. Jizouko grunted as she pulled out a kunai and got into a defensive stance.

"Two down," one of the two chuckled, she could feel their breath on the back of her neck. They pulled their arms back to wrap the bloody chain around her and Jizouko quickly couched low to the ground and swiped their legs out from underneath them.

From above her Sasuke threw a shiruken and pinned the chain to a tree, he followed it with a kunai knife to lock it into place. He landed on the pair's gloves and kicked them in the face, breaking the chain off.

_Nice going, show off!_ Jizouko thought angrily, _Now they're free to move about!_ True to her prediction, the two shinobi took off in opposite directions. One of them went to Tazuna and Sakura and the other went to Naruto. Jizouko glanced at Sasuke and nodded to him and went after the one going towards Naruto and he went after the one advancing on Sakura and the Bridge Builder.

"Get down!" Jizouko roared at Naruto who seemed to be frozen in fear. She pushed him to the ground as the enemy swiped a claw at him, catching her lose shirt and sending her flying. Kakashi appeared behind the attacker and knocked him out with one blow before moving on to catch the other in the gut.

"Would it have killed you to step in earlier?" Jizouko winced as she got up from the ground.

"Sorry for not helping you right away," he apologized, "Because of that I got Naruto-kun injured. I didn't think you wouldn't be able to move. Anyway, nice job Sasuke-kun, Jizouko-chan," Kakashi congratulated the two who had sprung into action.

Jizouko looked over to Naruto and saw a scratch on his hand. _It would appear that I was a little late, but he should've been able to defend himself if he thought he was ready for a C-rank mission!_ She thought bitterly as she dusted herself off.

"Great," she muttered as she looked at the giant rip in her shirt right below her rib cage. She took out a kunai and began to cut the torn fabric away, leaving her in a belly shirt.

"Are you okay, Mr. Scaredy Cat?" Sasuke teased his team mate with a smirk.

"Naruto-kun, save it for later," Kakashi ordered before Naruto's temper could explode. "Their claws were soaked in poison. We have to remove it quickly. We must open up the wound and release to poisoned blood from your body," he explained as Naruto looked at his injured hand. "Don't move much, or the poison will spread through your body."

Jizouko sighed and made her way over to the injured boy. "You'll want to put your hand lower than your heart," she advised as she gently grabbed his hand and lowered it. "That way the poison spreads slower," she offered a small smile.

"Jizouko-can! Your shirt!" He exclaimed when he noticed the ripped garment.

"Don't worry, I'll live," she grinned as she walked over to the others.

"These guys are chuunin-class shinobi from Kirigakure no Sato," Kakashi started, "They are ninjas known to keep fighting no matter what."

"How did you read our movements?" One of the two tied up ninjas asked.

"Clear day like this and it hasn't rained in days," Jizouko started. "A puddle shouldn't exist," Kakashi finished.

"Why did you let the bras fight when you knew that?" Tazuna asked.

"If I had wanted to, I could have killed theses two instantly, but there was something I needed to find out," Kakashi explained as he look at Tazuna out of the corner of his eye. "Who the target that these two were after. This has now become at least a B-rank mission," He stated as he turned to face the older man. "This was supposed to be simple protection until you completed the bridge." Tazuna looked down under the jounin's gaze.

"If it was known that shinobi were after you this mission would have been an expensive B-rank," Kakashi stated, "I'm sure you have a reason, but it causes problems when you lie about the mission details. We are now operating outside of our duties."

"We aren't ready for this mission. Let's quit!" Sakura suggested nervously, "We will need medicine for Naruto's wound. We should go back to the village and take him to a doctor…" She trailed off.

Jizouko remained silent and weighed the situation in her mind. _On one hand we have Naruto's wound, he could lose that hand if left untreated, but on the other hand we can't just abandon this man to his fate. He probably only had enough money to pay for a C-rank mission, a B-rank would be impossible for him to afford…_ She sighed and rubbed her cheek, _Damn morals!_

"Hmm…" Kakashi hummed as he looked at Naruto. "This might be too much… I guess we should return to the village to treat Naruto," he sighed finally.

Naruto grit his teeth and pulled out a kunai knife, stabbing his wounded hand.

"Naruto-kun! What are you doing?" Sakura screeched in a high voice.

"Are you crazy?" Jizouko demanded.

"With this kunai," he started with his back turned to the group. "I'll protect the old man. We're continuing the mission!" He declared as he turned to face the others.


	6. Chapter 6

"Naruto-kun," Kakashi started, "it's good that you're releasing the poison, but anymore and you'll die from lack of blood. Seriously," he finished with an unseen smile.

"No! That's bad! I can't die from something like this!" Naruto yelled when his sensei's words sunk in.

"Let me see your hand," Kakashi ordered as he grabbed the blonde's injured hand.

"Naruto-kun, are you a masochist?" Sakura questioned with her hands on her hips, "What are you thinking?"

Kakashi paused as he bandaged Naruto's wound and stared at the injury for a long moment. This action piqued Jizouko's curiosity and she peered over the masked man's shoulder to get a look at the wound. _It's already started to heal?_ She wondered in awe, _what could possibly cause that?_

"Umm, hey…" Naruto started nervously, "Am I going to be okay? You two are making scary faces…"

"No," Jizouko started as she stood up straight, "you're going to lose your hand, Naruto-kun." She chuckled lightly at the face Naruto made when she told him her distressing "news".

"You should be fine, don't listen to her," Kakashi advised as he finished wrapping bandages around the boy's hand. Jizouko made a face at the jounin's back in response.

"Sensei," Tazuna called, "I have to talk to you. It's about this mission… You're right; this job is most likely outside of your duties. It turns out that a super dangerous man is after my life," He took a step towards the group.

"Super dangerous man?" Naruto echoed curiously.

"Who?" Jizouko asked, turning to face the older man.

"You've probably at least heard his name before," Tazuna sighed deeply. "The wealthy shipping magnate, a man named Gatou."

"Huh? Gatou," Kakashi blinked in surprise, "from that Gatou Company? He's said to be one of the world's few extremely wealthy people."

"Yes," Tazuna confirmed. "Officially he runs a large shipping company, but secretly he sells drugs and other illegal items using ninjas and gang members to take over businesses and countries. He's a very nasty man."

_Sounds like he's a little bit more than "nasty"_, Jizouko thought as she crossed her arms.

"It was about a year ago when he set his eyes on the Land of Waves," Tazuna continued. "Through money and violence he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. Gatou now has a monopoly on all business traffic in the country. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge."

"I see," Sakura started as she held her chin, "since you're building the bridge, you're in the way."

"So," Sasuke started, glancing at the bride builder, "those shinobi were hired by Gatou?"

_Naw, really? I never would've guessed…_ Jizouko drawled sarcastically in her mind as she rolled her eyes. _Naruto-kun doesn't get it?_ She sighed when she saw the clueless look on the blonde's face.

"But what I don't understand is if you knew ninjas could be after you, why did you hide that fact when you hired us?" Kakashi questioned.

"The Land of Waves is poor," Tazuna said simply. "Even the Feudal Lord has no money. Of course, we don't have much money either, not enough for the expensive B-rank mission. Well, if you quit the mission now I will definitely be killed…"

"But" Kakashi started but Tazuna cut him off.

"Don't worry about it!" He said with a forced grin. "If I die, my cute ten year-old grandson will just cry for a few days! Oh yeah, and my daughter will live a sad life hating the Konoha shinobi forever. But it won't be your fault. Not at all!" He finished, turning away from the group.

"Well, I guess we have no choice," Kakashi sighed. "We will protect you at least until you get back to your country."

_Manipulative old bastard!_ Jizouko groaned internally. _This is going to be a long mission…_

* * *

><p>"What a thick mist, I can't see ahead," Sakura commented from her seat near the front of the small wooden boat.<p>

"Naw, really?" Jizouko groaned as she hung over the side, the gentle rocking of the boat was making her nauseous. _I hate boats!_ She whined pitifully in her head as fake tears fell down her cheeks.

"We should see the bridge soon," the boatman informed as he pushed a long paddle into the water. "The Land of Waves is at the base of the bridge."

Jizouko looked up slightly and saw the rough outline of a large bridge through the heavy mist surrounding them. _I sincerely hope that we get to go back on that instead of a boat…_

"Wow! It's huge!" Naruto exclaimed when the first supporting column came into clear focus.

"Hey! Be quiet!" The boatman whispered angrily, "Why do you think we are hiding in this mist and not using the engine? We'll be in deep trouble if Gatou finds us."

Naruto placed both his hands over his mouth in order to remain quiet, causing Jizouko to roll her eyes as she dropped her head as another wave of nausea hit her. _I really hate boats_, she clarified her thought from earlier as she tried her best not to vacate her stomach

* * *

><p>Jizouko relished in the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet, nothing could ruin this for her. Or so she thought.<p>

"There!" Naruto yelled as he threw a shiruken into some bushes, startling the rest of the group.

_I'm going to strangle that child!_ Jizouko thought angrily in the dead silence that followed.

"Heh, just a rat," Naruto said as he tried to play off his mistake.

"Stop trying to act cool!" Sakura demanded as she pointed an accusatory finger at her team mate. "There was nothing there!"

"Hey, please stop using shiruken," Kakashi asked nervously, "It's a teensy bit dangerous."

"Hey midget!" Tazuna yelled, "Stop acting like a moron!"

Naruto ignored the shouts and continued "scouting" the road ahead. _That boy is going to get himself killed at this rate_, Jizouko sighed, _most likely by me…_

There was a slight rustling in the bushes off to the side of the path that caught her attention, distracting her from her plans of causing physical and possibly mental harm to the boy.

"There!" Naruto yelled as he threw a shiruken into the bushes that were rustling.

"I said stop!" Sakura said as she smacked the blonde on the back of his head.

"Somebody is after us, I swear," he tried to defend himself as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, right!" Sakura scoffed as she placed her hands on her hips.

Kakashi ignored his bickering students and pushed at the leaves of the bush, revealing a stunned white snow hare quivering against the trunk of a tree.

"Naruto! What have you done?" Sakura demanded when she saw the pitiful creature.

"I didn't mean it, I'm sorry lil' rabbit!" He apologized as he rubbed his face against its white fur.

_Aren't those supposed to be brown this time of year?_ Jizouko asked in her mind before muttering softly, "Oh, this doesn't bode well at all."


	7. Chapter 7

"Everyone, get down!" Kakashi ordered suddenly as he himself hit the dirt.

Jizouko decided that listening to him was the best course of action and threw herself to the ground with much more force than she had originally intended. "Oww," she groaned as she felt her ribs flare up in pain. _Not my brightest moment_, she winced as she rolled over to her back in time to see a large blade fly over the area where she and the others had been standing not long before.

The sword embedded itself into the trunk of a tree and a man landed on its long handle. The man just stood there while the group got to their feet, Jizouko holding her ribs gingerly. _Who's this?_ She wondered silently as she watched the man closely.

"Well well," Kakashi started calmly, "if it isn't Kirigakure's missing-nin Momochi Zabuza."

Naruto prepared himself to attack this new enemy but was stopped by Kakashi.

"Everybody, get back," He commanded. "This one is on a whole other level."

Zabuza remained silent and watched the group over his shoulder.

Kakashi reached a hand up to his hitai-ate, "It'll be a little tough unless I do this."

"You appear to be Sharingan Kakashi." Zabuza started casually, "Sorry but the old man is mine."

_Sharingan? Like the Uchihas? _Jizouko wondered as she looked at the jounin.

"Surround and protect Tazuna-san," Kakashi ordered, "that's the teamwork here. Do not enter the fight. Zabuza first," he said as he pulled up the side of his hitai-ate covering his left eye, "fight me."

Three black marks circled the pupil in a red iris of the exposed eye and a scar ran down the center of the area around it. Jizouko felt a shiver run down her spine when she looked at it, she had heard about the Sharingan before, but had never seen it in person.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, in the dark corner where she kept her faint memories of her life before Konoha a woman's scream echoed.

_What was that?_ She wondered as her eyes widened slightly.

"Ah, I already get to see the famous Sharingan" Zabuza said, "I'm honored."

"Sharingan! Sharingan!"Naruto yelled in frustration, "What the Hell is that?"

"Sharingan," Sasuke started softly, "it is said that some have the ability in their eyes to read and defeat all types of genjutsu, taijustu, and ninjutsu. The Sharingan is one of the types of pupil that gives you this power. But that's not the only ability the Sharingan has," he trailed off.

"Heh heh, exactly," Zabuza confirmed with a chuckle. "That's not all, what's even scarier is that you can copy your opponent's techniques once you see them. When I was a member of Kirigakure's assassin team I kept a hand book, it included information of you. And this is what it said, the man who has copied over 1000 jutsu, 'Copy Ninja Kakashi'," he finished as he looked down at Kakashi.

_Isn't that common knowledge?_ Jizouko wondered with an arched brow as she took in the expressions of her fellow genin. Apparently it wasn't.

"Now," Zabuza said as he crouched down on the handle of the sword, "let's end all the talking. I have to kill that old man."

Those words sent the team into action, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Jizouko all took up defensive positions around Tazuna with kunai at the ready.

"But Kakashi, it seems I have to beat you first," Zabuza said before jumping away from the tree and onto the nearby water, taking his sword with him.

"Over there!" Naruto exclaimed when he located the threat.

"And on top of the water!" Sakura added in disbelief.

Zabuza made a hand sign and a heavy fog began rolling in to cover the area. "Ninpou, Hidden Mist no Jutsu," he announced before the mist swallowed him completely.

"He's gone!" Sakura gasped

"He'll come after me first," Kakashi informed, "Momochi Zabuza, as a member of Kirigakure he was known as an expert in silent killing. You don't even notice until you're already dead. It's not like I can use the Sharingan perfectly. You guys be careful," he advised calmly.

_Yeah, we're screwed!_ Jizouko laughed nervously in her mind before composing herself. _Gotta stay calm, he can probably sense fear_, she joked lightly as her face became void of emotion.

"The mist is getting thicker!" Naruto shouted when almost all visibility was gone.

"Eight choices," Zabuza's voice started, echoing around the group, "liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, heart," he listed off creepily. "Which one should I go after?"

Jizouko guessed that it was a rhetorical question and remained on guard as she searched the dense fog for movement. Zabuza's bloodlust was almost tangible in the air around them, causing Sasuke to start to sweat and shake uncontrollably.

"Sasuke-kun," Kakashi called out to his student, "don't worry. I'll protect you guys even if it kills me. I don't let my comrades die," he turned to give a masked smile, causing his eyes to close.

"We'll see about that!" Zabuza's voice chuckled darkly before he himself appeared inside the defensive formation. "It's over," he stated simply.

_Holy mother of-!_ Jizouko jumped internally before quickly spinning around and using that momentum to bring her kunai down in a slash. _Water? What the?_ She gasped as the liquid dripped from her kunai.

"Jizouko-chan! Behind you!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger behind the girl.

She turned to see Zabuza behind her starting to swing his oversized sword in a low sweep. She was shoved out of the way by Kakashi and he was sliced in half instead, but in place of his blood water poured onto the ground.

"Don't move!" Kakashi ordered as he placed a kunai at Zabuza's neck, "It's over."

Jizouko sighed in relief as she got up from the ground holding her ribs again; the doctor would not be pleased at all…

"Heh heh heh," Zabuza chuckled darkly, "It's over? You don't get it," he accused, "There is no way you can defeat me with your monkey-like imitations. Heh heh, but that was impressive of you!" He congratulated as he glanced at Kakashi out of the corner of his eye. "You had your clone say those words to attract my attention while the real you stayed in the mist and watched. Nice plan, but I'm also not that easy," another Zabuza said from behind the jounin as he placed a kunai at his neck.

"That one's a fake, too!" Naruto exclaimed as the Zabuza in front of Kakashi melted into a pool of water on the ground.

The Zabuza behind Kakashi swung his sword and Kakashi ducked by crouching to the ground and Zabuza followed his attack by digging the blade into the ground and using it as a base so he could kick the silver haired jounin in the chest, sending him flying into the nearby water.

_That can't be good_, Jizouko thought, _considering that he's from Kirigakure, Zabuza probably specializes in water based jutsu…_


	8. Chapter 8

"Heh, fool," Zabuza chuckled as he appeared performing hand signs behind the resurfacing Kakashi. "Heh heh heh, now I have you in an inescapable prison!" He informed as a sphere of water engulfed the silver haired jounin. "Now Kakashi, we can finish things later. First I'll take care of them," he said darkly as he preformed another hand sign and a doppelganger rose from a puddle of water.

"Heh heh, wearing those hitai-ates and acting like ninjas," the clone chuckled. "A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death. Only when you're good enough to be listed in my handbook can you start calling yourself a ninja. You are not ninjas," he accused before disappearing for a moment and then kicking Naruto away and knocking off his hitai-ate in the process.

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura yelled in worry.

"Just brats," the real Zabuza scoffed.

"Take Tazuna-san and run!" Kakashi ordered from his prison, "You have no chance of beating him! As long as he's keeping me trapped in this prison he can't move! The water clone can't go very far from his real body. Just run away now!"

Jizouko thought about it for a moment before adjusting her grip on her kunai and moving to stand between the bridge builder and the water clone. "I can cover you as you make a run for it," she said softly, sparing a glance behind her.

Naruto on the other hand did the exact opposite and charged the doppelganger.

"Naruto-kun what are you thinking?" Sakura shrieked.

"Bah, idiot!" The clone scoffed before knocking the kid back as if he was nothing.

"What are you doing attacking him all by yourself?" Sakura reprimanded, "We genin have no chance against him!"

Jizouko was about to join in the scolding when she spotted his fallen hitai-ate clutched tightly in his grasp.

The blonde boy stood up shakily as a shadow fell over his eyes. "Hey, you eyebrow less freak," he started, "put this in your handbook. The man who will one day become Hokage, Konoha ninja Uzumaki Naruto!" He finished as he tied his hitai-ate securely around his forehead.

Jizouko smirked at this change in attitude; maybe he would make it in the ninja world after all…

"Sasuke-kun! Listen!" He called out to his comrade.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"I have a plan," Naruto grinned.

_Is that so?_ Jizouko thought as she arched an eyebrow.

"Pft, teamwork from you?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"Now let's get wild," Naruto suggested as he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"A lot of arrogance but, do you stand a chance?" The Zabuza clone asked doubtfully.

"What are you doing? Run away!" Kakashi tried to reason, "This fight was over the moment I was caught! Our duty is to protect Tazuna-san! Did you forget that?"

"Old man…" Naruto trailed off as he turned to look at the bridge builder.

"Well," Tazuna started, "I planted this seed myself. I'm not going to now say that I desire to live so much that I'd stop you. I'm sorry guys, fight as much as you want," he gave permission with a grin.

The group next turned to look at Jizouko. "Not my sensei, I don't have to listen to him," she shrugged with a grin in answer to their unasked question.

"You hear that?" Sasuke asked to no one in particular.

"Are you ready?" Naruto grinned.

The Zabuza clone started laughing loudly, "You guys will never grow up!" He declared after his laughing fit ended. "Going to keep playing ninja, eh? When I was about your age these hands were already dyed red with blood."

"Devil Zabuza," Kakashi said, looking from the corner of his eye.

"Ah, so you've heard a little about it," Zabuza acknowledged.

Jizouko narrowed her eyes slightly; she remembered being told about the Devil Zabuza when she was younger. _"He killed over 100 students of the graduating class that he wasn't even a part of," a dark haired woman said as she took the small book out of a young Jizouko's hands. "If you ever see him or anyone else in this book you should run, they're bad news."_

She looked into the bloodthirsty gaze of the doppelganger; no doubt it was even scarier from the real Zabuza. _Sorry aneki, but I don't run away_, she thought as she raised her kunai slightly in a silent challenge.

The clone accepted the challenge and in a flash he had rammed his elbow into her gut, she had managed to direct it away from her vulnerable rib cage. He then slammed his fist down where he had hit her with his elbow, pinning her to the ground. Jizouko felt the all the air leave her lungs and there was a slight coppery taste in her mouth as she gasped in pain.

"Jizouko-chan!" Naruto yelled in worry.

"Die," the clone ordered as he began putting pressure on her ribs.

She struggled weakly as she tried to regain her breath and managed to stab the clone in the leg, though it appeared to be ineffective. There was a poof sound all around her prone figure, at least 100 Naurtos appearing, and the clone removed his foot from her chest, much to her relief.

"Ah, shadow clones, and a large amount," the clone said as he reached for his sword.

"Here I come!" The Narutos yelled in unison before charging in.

Jizouko got up coughing blood onto the ground and holding her ribs yet again. "Kick his ass!" She cheered on as she gasped for air.

The clone easily batted the shadow clones away with his sword, sending them flying in various directions. _So much for that plan_, Jizouko winced at the beating.

One of the Narutos reached into his bag as he skidded along the ground and threw a weapon to Sasuke. The rave haired boy jumped to catch it and rolled on the ground when he landed. He snapped the weapon open to reveal it was a giant shiruken of sorts.

"Demon Wind Shiruken," he said as he held up the weapon, "Windmill of Shadows."

"A shiruken won't work against me!" Zabuza's clone scoffed as Sasuke jumped up to throw the shiruken.

The black metal weapon's path took it around the clone, seeming like a miss. _Oh, I see_, Jizouko thought as the shiruken continued towards the water.

"I see you're aiming it at the real me. But," the real Zabuza started, "that's not enough!" He declared as he caught the projectile, only to find another one whizzing towards him. "Another one in the shiruken's shadow?" He gaped. "But, still not enough!" He chuckled as he jumped over it.

_Are you serious?_ Jizouko groaned internally as the shiruken continued on unhindered. Then the shiruken transformed into Naruto who threw a kunai at Zabuza's back. _Not a bad plan_, she congratulated silently when she realized that was the goal all along.

Zabuza was forced to jump away to dodge, breaking his control over the sphere of water containing Kakashi, but the knife still gave him a scratch across his cheek. Zabuza spun the windmill shiruken that he had caught in his hand angrily as he ran toward Naruto. _Uh oh!_ Jizouko thought as she looked on unable to help the blonde.

Right before Zabuza could bring the weapon down on the defenseless boy Kakashi stepped in and caught the blade on the metal plate covering the back of his hand.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called out in relief at the sight of her freed teacher.

"Naruto-kun, great plan," Kakashi congratulated his student. "You guys have grown up."

Naruto giggled proudly before he began explaining his strategy._ Are you kidding me?_ Jizouko thought angrily, _You never under any circumstances tell the enemy your plan, even if you already executed it! He'll see right through it if you ever use it again on him!_

"I got distracted and released the justu," Zabuza said, refusing to admit he had been outwitted by a kid.

"Wrong!" Kakashi contested, "You didn't release it. You were forced to release it. I'll tell you that I don't fall for the same jutsu twice. What will you do?" He asked his opponent before both of them jumped away and started performing hand seals. The two executed the same jutsu and two large dragons made out of water clashed together.

Jizouko watched in awe with the others still on dry land, _That's amazing!_ She gasped internally before a wave of water crashed onto the group and almost knocked her over. The water dragons crashed back onto the water, sending a spray to cover the already drenched spectators. In the middle of the deluge Kakashi blocked Zabuza's sword with a kunai before jumbling back a few meters. He continued to mimic Zabuza's movements and hand seals, even finishing his unsaid sentences.

"Freaky eye is pissing me off! Right?" Kakashi asked as he stared at his opponent unblinkingly.

"Heh, all you're doing is copying me," Zabuza started. "You can't beat me you monkey bastard!" Kakashi finished with him.

"Damn you!" Zabuza grunted as he began performing more hand seals, "I'll make it so you can never open that mouth again!"

Kakashi copied them perfectly and even went on to finish the string of hand seals before his opponent.

"What? That's impossible!" Zabuza shouted as Kakashi sent a giant wave of water towards him, throwing him against a tree. Kakashi threw four kunai into his limbs, rendering him immobile.

"It's over," he declared coolly as he landed on a branch of the tree.

"How?" Zabuza asked shakily, "Can you see the future?"

"Yeah," Kakashi confirmed as he held up a kunai, "I foresee your death."

Two senbon needles came flying out of the surrounding trees and pierced Zabuza in the neck.

"Heh heh, you're right. He's dead," a new voice said from a nearby tree branch. The group looked up to see a figure wearing a painted mask. _A hunter-nin from Kirigakure?_ Jizouko recognized the mask.

Kakashi jumped down to check Zabuza's pulse and then looked at the figure out of the corner of his eye.

"Thank you very much," the figure, which Jizouko was guessing to be male, bowed his head slightly. "I have been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time."

"That mask," Kakashi started, "you're a Kirigakure hunter-nin."

"Impressive. You are correct," the figure confirmed.

"Hunter-nin?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Yes, my duty is to hunt down missing-nins," the figure explained, "I'm a member of Kirigakure's hunter-nin team."

Jizouko stared at the figure for a long moment, _He can't be much older than me yet he's so strong… It's unusual to see someone like that now_, she thought with a slight frown as she thought of all the stories she had heard about young children who had quickly climbed the shinobi ladder, _The last one from Konoha was Uchiha Itachi if I remember correctly…_

"What the Hell?" Naruto exploded as he pointed a finger at the hunter-nin, "Who are you?"

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, he's not an enemy," Kakashi placated as he stood up.

"I'm not asking that!" Naruto yelled back "That Zabuza… That Zabuza was killed! A guy that strong… A guy that strong was killed by a kid! By a kid not much different from me! We look stupid! How can I understand that?"

Well, I know how you feel, but this is also the truth," Kakashi started as he placed a hand on Naruto's head. "In this world, there exists kids younger than you yet stronger than me."

The hunter-nin jumped down to the ground and pulled one of Zabuza's arms over his shoulder. "Your battle is now over," he said, "and now I must dispose of this body. Since it seems to be a body with many secrets. Farewell," he said before he disappeared from view.

_Aren't they supposed to destroy the body on sight?_ Jizouko thought and then shrugged it off; _Maybe they changed the protocol or something…_

Kakashi sighed tiredly as he pulled his hitai-ate down to cover his Sharingan. "Now we have to get Tazuna-san back home," he announced. "Let's go!"

"Ha ha ha!" Tazuna laughed heartily, "Thanks a lot, guys! Come over to my house and relax for a while!"

Kakashi fell to the ground in exhaustion shortly after the old man gave his initiation. The group of genin shouted in worry for their mentor's health.

_Great_, Jizouko sighed mentally, _now we're going to have to carry him!_


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you alright, sensei?" Tazuna's dark haired daughter, Tsunami, asked with her hands placed on her hips.

"Yeah," Kakashi sighed as he lay on a futon, "I just can't move for a week or so."

"Sucks," Jizouko sympathized with a slight frown.

"What?" Sakura gasped, "The Sharingan is incredible, but if it puts that much stress on the body, I guess you have to think before using it."

"Well, we defeated that strong of a ninja this time," Tazuna laughed as he wiped at his forehead. "We should be safe for a while!"

"By the way, who was that masked kid?" Sakura asked as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"That's the mask worn by the Kirigakure special hunter-nin team," Kakashi informed, "They are also known as body erasers. Their duty is to dispose of the body without a trace. A shinobi's body has within it secrets of the village's ninjutsu, information on different chakra types, herbs, and other things that will reveal things about the village. For example, if I died, the secrets of the Sharingan could be revealed. If you're not careful there's a danger that the enemy will steal your jutsu. A ninja's body can reveal important information. So, by killing and disposing of the missing-nins who have abandoned their village, the hunter-nins protect the information from getting out. They are the specialists who guard their village's secrets. No sound. No smell. That is a shinobi's end," he trailed off as he closed his visible eye.

"So that Zabuza has been chopped up and disposed of? Scary!" Sakura shuddered.

Jizouko rolled her eyes at the cowardly statement. _Some people just shouldn't be ninjas…_

* * *

><p>"You two do realize that he's going to wake up and catch you, right?" Jizouko sighed as she watched Naruto and Sakura huddled over their sleeping sensei with mild interest.<p>

"Shh! You'll wake him up!" Naruto hushed in a whisper.

"Fine, don't say I didn't warn you," she said as she got up and began to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked as she passed him.

"On a walk, wanna join me?" She asked as she crouched down by her bag next to the doorway and began digging through it.

Sasuke just "hn"ed uninterestedly and turned his attention elsewhere. Jizouko shrugged her slim shoulders and pulled out a small leather bound book from her bag.

"Dinner's at six!" Tazuna called after her as she walked through the door.

She waved her hand in confirmation before closing the door completely. As soon as she let go of the handle she heard Naruto and Sakura yelp in surprise. _Called it!_ She thought with a grin as she folded her arms behind her head with the book still in her grasp.

* * *

><p>Jizouko had been walking for about thirty minutes before she came to a halt in a sizeable clearing.<p>

"This should do," she said as she looked around at the tall trees surrounding her. "This should do nicely."

The clearing was maybe thirty meters across, giving her plenty of room to do what she was planning to do.

She sat down on the ground with a soft thud and folded her legs beneath her as she opened the old book and began flipping through the pages near the end. She began humming lightly as she began reading the faded words scrawled across the yellowing paper.

**The secret to unlocking the Makaze is placing the body under extreme stress, either physical or mental. The kind of stress one feels when fighting for their life or the lives of those they care about.**

_Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen here…_ Jizouko thought as she rolled her eyes.

**But once the Makaze has been unlocked then it can be called at will.**

"Well that's useful…"

**It is very difficult, but as the user becomes more skilled it will become like second nature to them. But beware, this technique takes a large amount of energy and can even kill the user if the state is held for too long, regardless of mastery level.**

**At first it is best to try meditating on what you felt at the time the Makaze was first awakened as opposed to placing yourself in a similar situation.** Jizouko laughed nervously at this, _This was written way before I was even conceived, there's no way that it was directed specifically towards me... Right?_

She shrugged her thin shoulders as she snapped the book shut and placed it on the ground next to her. She rethought that action after a moment when she remembered what she had been told had happened last time and tucked it into her shirt instead.

"Ha ha, maybe I'll actually have a bust for once!" She giggled at the awkward holding place.

_So I have to remember what I felt on that mission? But I don't want to!_ She sighed heavily and rubbed at the base of her skull.

"_You should really consider growing out your hair, Jizouko-chan,"_ Kyoko's words echoed in her mind. _"The boys would be all over you. Not that you have any problems in that department, or so I've heard."_

_Tch, why do I care what she heard from some costumer at that stupid restaurant she works at?_ Jizouko thought angrily as her eye twitched. _I wonder who it is…_ She wondered off hand, it didn't hurt to speculate, right? _The only guys I've spent time with around my age are Takashi, Naruto, and Sasuke… Naruto and Sasuke don't know me well enough and Takashi knows me too well… I hope it's none of those guys… It would make practice awkward…_ She mused before she caught herself.

"What am I doing thinking about useless stuff like that?" She asked herself angrily, she had never really been interested in boys before, why the change now?

"I should be training instead, school girl crushes don't win fights," she reprimanded herself sternly.

_Okay, what was I feeling at that time?_ She thought for a long moment but came up with nothing. She groaned at this, knowing that it meant she would have to delve into her memories.

"_Heh heh, it was a mistake for your village to send such inexperienced brats on this mission, even f you have that woman as your sensei…"_

She could feel that man's hand around her thin neck and his foul breath on her face. She scrunched up her nose, but pressed on.

"_You've been a headache to me, regardless, which is a feat for someone so weak."_

Jizouko began to feel the tension in her stomach.

"_I think I'll save the pleasure of killing you for las, thought. Now, which of your team mates should I start with, hm? Perhaps that blonde girl, she's quite beautiful, I think I'll have some fun with her first…"_

She began to feel rage boiling up along with the tension.

"_Or what about that boy? You two seem close, are you lovers?"_

She had to fight back a low growl as she remembered that statement. _Never in a thousand years!_ A small corner of her mind retorted before conjuring up the last of the memory.

"_No, I think I'll start with that sensei of yours, I'll become very famous for killing her, you know. Warlords would be lined up for kilometers once the word got out. Can't you just hear their praise, now? The man who quelled the Crimson Storm, every village will think twice before sending brats like you after me!"_

Jizouko felt the tension snap, just like it had at that time. It felt like a wind storm was forcing its way out of every pore of her body. She opened her eyes and saw that the grass around her was being blown away, leaving bare dirt in its place.

_That guy was not lying when he said this is exhausting_, she mused before falling back onto the ground. The blue sky and white clouds swam in her vision before she closed her eyes as a wave of extreme exhaustion washed over her body.


	10. Chapter 10

Jizouko woke up to the feeling of a soft breeze caressing her skin, causing her short hair to tickle at her nose. She snorted lightly and blinked open her tired eyes to look up at the clear blue sky.

"How long have I been out?" She wondered aloud as she sat up holding her pounding head.

_Couldn't have been that long, the sun's still up_, she decided as she looked around.

The clearing around her had been stripped of grass, leaving packed brown earth in its place. The trees around the border had small scratches decorating their bark.

_Weird…_ She thought as she got to her feet, her muscles aching.

"I should probably get back before the others start worrying about me…"

* * *

><p>"Oh, hey guys," Jizouko said as she walked into a clearing not far from the one she had been in. "What're you doing here?"<p>

"Jizouko-chan! You're alive!" Naruto exclaimed overdramatically as he threw his arms around her.

"I wasn't gone for that long, was I?" She asked as she gently pushed Naruto's face away from hers, leaning back slightly.

"Almost a day, where did you walk to?" Sasuke asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Oh, you know," she started with a wave of her hand, "around. I might've fallen asleep at some point, also…"

"It's not safe to wander around alone," Kakashi reprimanded from his perch in a tree.

"Any special reason? Or is it just the usual 'you could fall down a hole and get stuck and no one would know' speech?" She asked, trying to loosen Naruto's grip on her.

"Zabuza's still alive!" Sakura informed with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, cool," Jizouko said uninterestedly, doing her best to ignore the blonde boy who had yet to let her go. "Is there any particular reason why he's acting like this?"

"The dobe thought you were dead when you didn't come back last night," Sasuke said in his usual monotone.

"Ha! Who can blame him? I'd probably be like this too if I thought I was stuck with you for company!" She said as she stuck her tongue out at the spiky haired boy, earning an annoyed grunt form him.

"Ha ha! You have no idea!" Naruto giggled as he finally released his grip.

"So what're you guys doing out here?" Jizouko asked, looking up at Kakashi, "Not looking for me, I hope."

"No, I figured you would come back when you got hungry," Kakashi dismissed, Jizouko's stomach growled loudly as if on cue. "Besides, if the rumors are true then you should've been able to take care of yourself if you got into any trouble," he finished, fixing her with a knowing look.

"We're do you people keep hearing these things about me?" She sighed softly to herself, not caring if anyone heard.

"Where doing a training exercise," Sakura said as she looked at the dark skinned girl with a curious look.

"Neat, which one?" Jizouko asked as she stretched her arms above her head.

"We're learning to climb trees with chakra!" Naruto said excitedly, "Look how far I've gone!" He pointed at a tree trunk with closely grouped slashes going up maybe three meters.

"That's… Good?" She tried to complement, but in reality she was belittling him in her mind. _You, my dear, have horrible chakra control!_

"I'm assuming that you've already mastered this technique, Jizouko-chan," Kakashi started boredly as he opened his book. "You can go back and keep an eye on Tazuna-san for the time being."

Jizouko nodded before turning in the direction that she believed the bridge builder's house was and started walking.

"Other way," Kakashi coughed, trying not to laugh.

"I knew that!" She snapped, a light blush appearing on her tan cheeks. "I was just testing you!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, there you are," Tazuna grunted as Jizouko walked through his front door. "We were beginning to think that Zabuza got to ya'."<p>

"Ha ha, no," Jizouko waved the comment off, "I just got a little lost."

"Well, wash up and eat some breakfast," he ordered, "We'll go check on the bridge after that."

* * *

><p>"There aren't a lot of people working on this," Jizouko commented with a frown. "Isn't this bridge supposed to boost the economy or something? Wouldn't that make everyone in town want to help out?"<p>

"You'd think that," Tazuna said with a heavy sigh, "buy Gatou has all but crushed the spirits of the people living here."

_Well, that's… Distressing_, Jizouko thought as her frown deepened.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked suddenly, surprising the old man. "I mean, I feel pretty useless just sitting around doing nothing…"

Tazuna stared at her for a long moment before grinning widely, "Well, I'm not one to turn down an offer like that, go grab a hard hat and we'll get to work!"

* * *

><p>"Man, I am so sore!" Jizouko groaned as she sprawled out on the living room floor.<p>

"Ha ha, aren't you supposed to be some kind of ninja? Shouldn't you be used to strenuous work by now?" Tazuna teased lightly.

"Tch, aren't you supposed to be some kind of grandpa? Shouldn't you be complaining about your hip or something?" She shot back tiredly before bursting out in a fit of laughter with the old man.

"I take it that everything went well at the bridge today?" Kakashi's voice questioned from the doorway.

"No," Jizouko groaned again, "I died!"

"She's exaggerating," Tazuna rolled his eyes at the young girl. "How was training?"

"Good, Sakura-chan will be with you tomorrow, she and Jizouko-chan will be switching out for the rest of the week," Kakashi said as he sat down heavily next to Tazuna.

Jizouko groaned loudly at this, _Just what I need, more training…_


	11. Chapter 11

I just realized that the document editor won't let me tack on exclaimation points onto my question marks... I must say, that does lessen the effect of some of the questions asked...

also, thanks for the review, Rose527 :D

* * *

><p>Jizouko watched Naruto and Sasuke train boredly from her seat on a high branch. She let out a sigh as she leaned back against the trunk and picked and onigiri from the bento that Tsunami had prepared for them.<p>

_These guys sure learn quick_, she thought as she took a bite out of the rice ball.

"Hey! Jizouko-chan! Toss me one of those! I'm hungry too!" Naruto yelled at the base of the tree that she was perched in.

"Why don't you come up and get it? Or have you not mastered the technique?" She teased as she held the bento out in the air.

Before Naruto could retort the box was snatched out of her hand. Sasuke sat down on a nearby branch and lifted the lid, pulling out an onigiri of his own.

"Better hurry up, dobe, there's only one left," Sasuke taunted with a smirk.

"Hey, you wanna split it if he can't make it up in ten minutes?" Jizouko asked as Naruto growled angrily at the base of the tree far below.

"You guys! Stop picking on me!" He demanded as he waved his arms around comically and stomped on the ground.

Jizouko burst out laughing at the sight and almost fell off of the branch while Sasuke smirked down at the blonde.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Naruto!" Sasuke called out, breaking the silence that the group had fallen into and waking Jizouko from her light slumber.<p>

She cracked an eye open to see what was happening between the two.

"What the Hell is your problem?" Naruto snapped at his team mate, "Can't you see I'm trying to focus?"

"Well… Umm…" Sasuke trailed off, causing Jizouko to raise an inquisitive eyebrow.

"What is it?" Naruto demanded suspiciously.

"What did Sakura tell you?" Sasuke finally asked, turning his head in an attempt to hide his red cheeks.

"It's a secret!" Naruto exclaimed, keeping mum on the help he had received.

The heavy silence that followed was broken by peals of laughter courtesy of Jizouko who was clutching her sides at the base of a tree.

"I don't suppose you're going to help me, either," Sasuke said, fixing her with a dark glare.

"Nah," she said as she waved a hand dismissively, "you're a smart boy, you'll figure it out soon enough on your own."

Her response earned her a darker glare, even though it was in the form of a compliment.

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat on the dock by Tazuna's house staring up at the starry sky. She had decided to skip out on dinner, claiming that she wasn't very hungry. She could hear the others talking over dinner faintly, but she blocked it out for the most part. Naruto had passed by earlier on his way to go train, but other than that it was a peaceful night.<p>

She heard a set of footsteps echo along the wooden boards before coming to a stop next to her.

"May I sit here?" She heard Kakashi ask when she didn't acknowledge him.

"You know, you don't have to get to try to know me," she sighed as she let her gaze fall to the still water. "It's not like I'm going to be a part of your team for much longer."

She heard the soft rustling of fabric as he shrugged his shoulders before sitting down next to her.

"Well, when you put it that way," he started with a sigh, "you may as well not get to know anybody."

Jizouko shrugged and began to swing her dangling feet.

"It's not that," she said with a slight frown. "It's just that it's hard for me to open up to someone I've known for less than a year. Not after what happened."

"You mean after Ureshi-san?"

She nodded mutely as she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"It's kinda funny," she said with a failed laugh. "People I've never met before know so much about me, yet I seem to know next to nothing about them. Take you for example," she said, looking up at the masked man. "I've only ever heard of you in passing, and I must say, you are nothing like the rumors make you out to be."

"Heh, I could say the same for you," Kakashi chuckled dryly. "You graduated two years ahead of others your age, yet at the bottom of the class. People consider you some kind of failure-genius." This earned a small scoff from the younger girl.

"I had nothing to prove to those teachers," she declared as she rested her chin on her knees.

"Never the less, you made quite the impression on us Jounin instructors," Kakashi shrugged. "I would be lying if I said that I didn't want the chance to at least evaluate your skills."

"I'm sorry, but you would be disappointed," Jizouko muttered as she looked away, "I'm not as strong as people would like to believe."

"It's okay," Kakashi said, she could almost hear the sad smile in his voice. "We're stronger when we stand together instead of facing the storm alone."

"Ha! That's pretty deep coming from you," Jizouko teased lightly as she tilted her head to look back up at the stars.

* * *

><p>Jizouko stretched her tired limbs languidly, hearing a few joints pop in the process.<p>

_Gods I feel old!_ She winced mentally as she made her way to the kitchen from the room she was sharing with Sakura.

"Naruto-kun didn't come back again last night?" Tazuna asked as he looked around at the group gathering around the table.

"He's been climbing trees all alone since he heard your story. He's very simple…" Sakura trailed off as she rubbed at her eyes sleepily. "He may have used too much chakra and died by now," she added as an afterthought.

"I hope he's alright," Tsunami said worriedly, "A child all alone at night in the woods…"

"Don't worry!" Kakashi placated with an unseen smile, "He might not look like it, but he's a true ninja."

"I don't know," Sasuke started, "It wouldn't surprise me if he was dead. That moron…"

"Good to see that you have such great faith in your team mates, Uchiwa," Jizouko said with a roll of her eyes, earning a glare for her mispronunciation.

The ever brooding male got up from his chair abruptly and walked out the door, leaving the others in a state of mild shock.

_Heh heh, fool left before he finished his breakfast_, Jizouko chuckled in her mind as she took the seat that he had been occupying and picked up a fresh set of chopsticks. _Guess who's getting extras~!_


	12. Chapter 12

Jizouko rolled her eyes and shook her head lightly at the sight before her. Naruto and Sasuke looked completely exhausted, Naruto more so than Sasuke.

"Nice of you two to join us," she drawled, turning back to her food.

"Oh, you guys are finally back," Tazuna acknowledged the two. "What's this? You guys look super dirty and worn out."

"Heh," Naruto panted, "both of us… Made it to the top."

"Finally," Jizouko rolled her eyes again at the two. _Took you long enough!_

"All right!" Kakashi said, "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, starting tomorrow you two will also help protect Tazuna-san."

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered before collapsing in a chair.

"Heh heh, I'm also worn out from today's bridge work," Tazuna admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "At any rate the bridge is almost complete."

"Naruto-kun, Tou-san, don't overdo it, okay?" Tsunami asked and the two grunted tiredly in response.

The table fell silent as the group continued to eat until Inari, Tazuna's grandson, started shaking suddenly.

"What?" Naruto grunted as he looked up at the young boy across the table.

"Why do you guys bother to try so hard?" Inari shouted slamming his small hands down on the table as tears rolled down his face, "No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gatou's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work, when facing the strong, the weak will only end up getting killed!"

_Okay then, Mr. Raincloud_, Jizouko drawled in her head as she chewed on her chopsticks in order to keep from saying anything that would make things worse.

"Whatever kid, I'm not like you," Naruto grunted dismissively.

"I'd hate to be like you!" Inari shouted back, "You don't know anything about this country, yet you're being so nosy! What the Hell do you know about me?" He screamed through his tears. "I'm different from you, you're clowning around and acting so cheerful, you don't know how hard life can be!"

"So," Naruto started, his usual happy tone turned deadly serious. "It's okay for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry all day? Just keep crying forever, you idiot! You little sissy!" He got up from his seat and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Naruto-kun, you've said enough!" Sakura yelled at his retreating form.

Jizouko stole a glance at the crying Inari and sighed heavily, _There goes our happy atmosphere…_

* * *

><p>"Do I have to?" Jizouko whined tiredly as Sakura tried to coax her out of bed.<p>

"Come on! The bridge is almost done so it won't be much longer until we're back in Konoha, you can sleep then!" Sakura tried to reason as she pulled on the tired girl's arm.

"Which is exactly why I should stay here!" Jizouko said into the pillow, "What if Gatou tries to take a hostage so Tazuna-san will stop working? Someone should be here to look after them."

"Stop making stuff up!" Sakura snapped as she successfully dragged the dark skinned girl out of bed. "Don't you think that Kakashi-sensei's already thought of that? Besides, Naruto-kun's staying behind."

"Yeah, sleeping! Which is what I should be doing right now!" Jizouko declared as she tried to dive under the covers again.

Sakura caught one of her wrists just in time, causing Jizouko to fall short of her intended target and land on the hard wood floor instead.

"Fine," Jizouko sighed heavily as she got up, "you win, just let me change real quick…"

* * *

><p>Jizouko rubbed her bare arms in an attempt to ward off the slight chill that crawled over her body at the sight of the five bleeding bodies in front of her.<p>

"What?" Tazuna gasped in a mixture of worry and disbelief, "What happened?"

"A monster," a bleeding construction worker croaked out with the last of his breath.

Jizouko looked around nervously at the mist that was slowly closing in on them, _Aww crap!_

"Here they come!" Kakashi shouted, snapping the group into action.

Jizouko had a death grip on her kunai as she took in the environment. _I am on a bridge very high above water, surrounded by mostly inexperienced fighters and a thick mist that's concealing at least one deadly enemy… I do believe this classifies as being screwed_, she thought as she began to feel dread pooling in the pit of her stomach.

_Tch, whatever_, she dismissed her earlier assessment as she adjusted her grip. _Not the time to be doubting my allies._

"Kakashi-sensei, this is his hidden Hidden Mist Technique, right?" Sakura asked nervously as Sasuke started shaking next to her.

"Long time no see, Kakashi," Zabuza's voice bounced around in the mist, making it impossible to pin point his position. "I see you're still with those brats. He's shaking again, poor kid…"

At least half a dozen Zabuzas appeared around the group, startling the majority of its members.

_Oh my various Gods!_ Jizouko mentally screamed as she tried her best not to jump.

"I'm shaking from excitement!" Sasuke declared with a cocky smirk.

"Do it, Sasuke-kun," Kakashi said, giving his student his permission to attack.

There was a flurry of movement and then the Zabuza clones collapsed into puddles of water in a ring around the group.

"Hmm… He saw through the water clones," the real Zabuza drawled as the mist cleared around him. "That brat has grown. It looks like a rival has appeared, eh Haku-kun?" He asked the masked figure standing beside him.

"It does indeed," the figure agreed in an emotionless voice.

"It seems my thinking was right on the mark," Kakashi said in his usual bored tone. "That masked one, he's obviously Zabuza's comrade, standing right next to him and all."

"He should stop hiding under that mask and face us!" Sakura declared with brashness that Jizouko knew that she wouldn't have if she knew what people who wore masks like that were capable of.

"I'll fight him," Sasuke decided in a low growl. "Tricking us with that stupid act, I hate bastards like that the most."

_Oh please,_ Jizouko thought with a roll of her eyes as Sakura began fawning over her dark haired team mate.

"An impressive young man," the masked boy admitted. "Even though the water clones only have one tenth of the strength of the original. Still very impressive."

"But we have gained the first advantage," Zabuza stated coolly, "Go!"

Sasuke and Haku both jumped into action and the clash of weapons could be heard echoing across the bridge as kunai met senbon.

"Sakura-chan, Jizouko-chan! Step in front of Tazuna-san and don't leave his side," Kakashi ordered as he began moving forward. "We'll let Sasuke-kun handle him."

Jizouko nodded as she held her kunai up in a defensive stance in front of the old man.

"I don't want to have to kill you," Haku confided as he and Sasuke were caught in a deadlock. "But you won't stand down, will you?"

"Don't be foolish," Sasuke scoffed with that same cocky look on his face.

"I see," the masked boy sighed in disappointment, "but you won't be able to keep up with my seed the next time. Plus, I've already gained two advantages."

"Two advantages?" Sasuke asked with slight curiosity.

"The first is the water on the ground," Haku pointed out calmly. "And the second is that I have occupied one of your arms. You will now only be able to run from my attacks."

Haku started to perform rapid hand signs with his free hand before stomping a sandaled foot on the wet ground, causing water to rise up and freeze into needles.

"Tch, idiot bit off more than he can chew," Jizouko grunted, knowing full well that the genin was no match for the clearly more skilled boy.

The ice needles converged on the Uchiha, concealing him from view. When the attack dissipated Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, then shiruken began raining down on his opponent.

"You're pretty slow," Sasuke reprimanded as he appeared behind Haku. "From now on, you'll only be able to run from my attacks," he mimicked the masked boy's words from earlier.

_He still bit off more than he can chew_, Jizouko thought indignantly as she resisted the urge to cross her arms.


	13. Chapter 13

Jizouko followed the quick movements of Sasuke and Haku's battle with quick flicks of her eyes, it was nearly impossible for her to lock on to the two combatants. Their movements finally slowed when Sasuke kicked Haku in the face, sending him flying towards Zabuza's feet.

_Not bad_, she admitted begrudgingly in her mind. _Doesn't mean he's that good, either._

"Looks like I have the advantage in speed," Sasuke boasted cockily.

"I can't have you underestimating my team by calling them 'brats'," Kakashi started coolly, "Sasuke-kun is Konoha's number one rookie. Sakura is the brightest in the village. Jizouko-chan is full of surprises, and the other one is the show-off, hyper-active, number one loudest ninja in the village."

"Haku, do you realize? At this rate we'll be driven back," Zabuza said after a soft chuckle.

"Yeah," Haku acknowledged as he stood up, a cold aura radiating off of him. "We can't have that…" He made a hand sign and the water on the ground began to rise up and solidify into blocks of ice, trapping Sasuke in.

_What kind of jutsu is this?_ Jizouko stiffened slightly and her grip on her kunai tightened.

The masked boy took a step into one of the blocks of ice, and she could see his image reflected on the other side.

Kakashi made to intervene in his student's fight, but Zabuza blocked his path.

"Hey, your opponent is me," he declared darkly. "Against that jutsu, he's finished."

Jizouko frowned and strained her ears to try and hear what was going on in the ice arena, but she couldn't make out any words, though Sasuke's pained cries made it through loud and clear.

"If you get by me, I'll kill those three," Zabuza threatened as Kakashi tried to maneuver around to help his student.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled in worry.

"Tazuna-san," she started as another of Sasuke's cries echoed across the bridge. "I'm sorry; I'm going to have to leave you for a moment."

"Yeah, go!" Tazuna agreed, and Sakura took off towards Sasuke and Haku's battle.

"Sasuke-kun!" She called out to get his attention as she threw a kunai for him to catch. It would've worked, if only Haku wasn't alerted as well and caught it first.

Jizouko took this opportunity to throw a shiruken at his protruding figure, leaving a deep scratch on his mask and knocking him out of the ice. _Two points!_ She cheered inwardly as a triumphant smirk appeared on her features.

She felt her eye twitch as a large plume of smoke billowed up nearby, _two guesses who it is_…

"Now that I'm here everything will be fine!" Naruto declared as the smoke cleared to reveal his orange clad figure. "The main character of a story usually shows up in these types of situations and instantly kicks the enemy's ass!"

_Please_, Jizouko rolled her eyes; _this is nothing like those stories!_

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura gasped, she seemed to be the only one happy to see the blonde.

Zabuza turned and threw five shiruken at the new comer, only to have them countered by five of Haku's senbon.

"Haku, what is this?" He demanded his subordinate angrily.

"Zabuza-san… These kids, please let me fight them my way," Haku requested with a respectful bow of his head.

"So you don't want me to interfere, Haku?" Zabuza chuckled darkly, "You're as soft as always…"

_Soft, you say?_ Jizouko thought with an arched eyebrow.

_Wait, what the Hell is that idiot doing?_ She thought angrily as she saw Naruto sneak into the ice arena to join Sasuke. She heard Sasuke raise his voice at his foolish team mate, but his words were rendered indistinguishable by the blocks of ice surrounding him.

"For that kid to master a jutsu like that…" Kakashi trailed off while Zabuza chuckled darkly.

"Jutsu like that?" Sakura echoed nervously while Jizouko stiffened noticeably next to her.

"A kekkei genkai!" The silver haired jounin declared, "A deep blood lineage, superior genealogy. It's a jutsu passed down by your ancestors."

"Then…" Sakura gasped in realization.

"Yeah, you could compare it to my sharingan," Kakashi confirmed, "Even I couldn't copy it. It's impossible to defeat."

"Nothing is impossible," Jizouko murmured with a slight smirk before taking off to where the boys were. "Stay there, Sakura-chan!" She called out to the pinkette behind her.

She had to quickly dodge a swing of Zabuza's sword by spinning out of the way, and quickly brought her kunai up to counter his next swing.

"Just where do you think you're going, girl?" Zabuza drawled menacingly as he towered over her.

"Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me…" Haku's voice trailed off, Jizouko could hear it clearly from where she was standing now. "If possible, I don't want to have to kill you, nor want you to have to kill me. But if you come at me, I can destroy my heat with a blade and become a true shinobi. This bridge is the place where we fight," he paused here for a moment, "to defend our dreams. Me, for my dream, and you for your dreams. Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person. To make that person's dreams come true. That is my dream. For that, I can become a shinobi. I can kill you."

Jizouko's arm was beginning to shake under the weight of Zabuza's sword bearing down on her, or so she would tell anyone who would ask.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto-kun! Don't lose to that guy!" Sakura yelled to her team mates inside the ice.

"No, Sakura-chan, don't egg them on," Kakashi reprimanded her. "Even if they could somehow defeat that technique, they cannot defeat that boy."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked softly, looking to her sensei.

"They don't have the strength to destroy their hearts and kill another person," Zabuza chuckled darkly; Jizouko could feel the vibrations through his sword. "That young man knows the true pain of being a shinobi. A real shinobi can't be created in a peaceful village like yours, because you can't gain the most important thing. The experience of killing."

"Then what can we do sensei?" Sakura shouted to her mentor.

_And make it quick!_ Jizouko gritted her teeth and gripped the knife with both hands.

"Sorry but, I'm going to end this instantly," Kakashi declared as he reached up to his hitai-ate.

"Heh heh, Sharingan again?" Zabuza chuckled, "Is that the only thing you can do?" He then moved quickly, releasing Jizouko from the stalemate and running towards Kakashi.

Zabuza went to stab him in the abdomen with an oddly shaped kunai, but Kakashi caught it with his hand instead.

"You asked if it's all I can do, but you are afraid of the Sharingan, Zabuza," Kakashi accused with a dark look on his face.

"Heh heh, a shinobi's supreme technique is not something that should be shown to the opponent over and over," Zabuza advised darkly.

"You should feel honored," Kakashi countered. "You're the only person to see it twice. And there won't be a third time."

"Heh, even if you defeat me, you can't win against Haku… Ever since he was a little kid, I taught him all kinds of fighting skills. Even facing the greatest adversity, he has succeeded. Without a heart or fear of death. A fighting machine known as a shinobi. And his jutsu surpasses even mine. The terrible ability of a kekkei genkai. I gained a high quality tool for myself," Zabuza bragged, "unlike the trash that follow you around."

"There's nothing as boring as a man's bragging," Kakashi said as he lifted his hitai-ate and pulled his hand away from the kunai. "Let's get this started!"

Jizouko turned to look at the ice arena and then back at Tazuna. She knew that her first concern should be the mission, protecting the bridge builder, but she couldn't leave those two to their fates, not against an opponent like they were facing.

Tazuna gave a curt, almost imperceptible nod which she returned before continuing on to the blocks of ice.


	14. Chapter 14

"Damn!" Naruto panted as he crouched to the ground, trying to regain his breath. "Hey Sasuke-teme, all we're doing is running around!"

"Be quiet and get up!" Sasuke snapped at the blonde. "I can't watch you too!"

"Hey guys!" Jizouko called from the outside of the ice blocks, "I'm going to see if I can break it from the outside, so hang in there!" She'd pressed her hands against two blocks of floating ice while she was talking and now pushed herself away to examine the arena closely, blowing on her bare palms to warm them up from their previous contact.

_Fire is the opposite of ice, right? So all I need is a fire jutsu!_ She thought as she racked her brain for solutions to the problem.

"Oh… Hello there…" She trailed off when she noticed Haku's masked face looking out at her from a block of ice.

"I cannot allow you to interfere in this fight," he said as he held up a handful of senbon needles.

"Well that's a shame—" Her sentence was cut off when Haku threw his needles and hit a group of nerves in her neck, causing her to fall to the ground unconscious.

* * *

><p>Jizouko had the feeling of floating, and she had to admit it wasn't the best feeling in the world to her. As soon as she thought that gravity kicked in and she landed heavily on her sandaled feet. She stumbled for a moment as she tried to gain her bearings.<p>

She was surrounded by darkness, making her believe that she was blind for a moment, but when she looked down at herself she saw that she was glowing slightly. Her dark skin seemed to radiate an unearthly light that her clothes slightly muffled, but it still shone through.

"Am I dead?" She finally voiced the dreaded question aloud.

As if in response to her question she heard someone talking in the blackness. She blindly followed the sound until she could clearly understand the words.

"What do you want for your birthday, Ji-chan?" A soft male baritone asked.

"Otouto-chan!" A child's voice squealed happily, causing the man's voice and another to chuckle softly.

"We'll see what we can do…" a woman's voice said, you could practically hear the soft smile in her voice.

"You know, that doesn't answer my question…" Jizouko muttered darkly as she glared into the dark.

There was a silence for a long moment before another voice called from her inky surroundings.

"But Kaa-chan, why do I have to go with Oji-chan?" The child's voice asked.

"It won't be for long, Ji-chan," the woman's voice consoled, "me and Tou-chan just want to make sure you don't get blown away in the storm tonight."

… _What the Hell? This does not help at all!_

The silence around her grew oppressive before the woman's voice cut through it again.

"Yamakaze Jiyuudo! You get out of here right now! I thought I told you to stay with Isamu-kun!" She sounded furious.

"I'm sorry, Ryuuka-san!" A young male voice apologized, it sounded like he was no older than Jizouko. "I lost sight of her for a moment!"

"Keep a better eye on her; this is no place for a child!"

"Yes, come along, Ji-chan!"

"Kaa-chan, who is that?" The child asked, ignorant to the apparent danger of the situation she was in. "Why is Tou-chan sleeping?"

"Isamu!" The woman barked sharply.

In the darkness two red circles began to materialize, two red eyes with a black ring around the pupil with three black commas suspended in orbit. The scream that she had heard earlier echoed around her head once more.

Images flashed around her so fast that she could only lock in on one for a brief moment before it was replaced by two more. Some she recognized as scenes from her life, and others she had never seen before. The images flicked by so fast that they ran their course in almost an instant, leaving Jizouko in a confused daze.

"Wait… What the Hell?" She screeched after a long moment, stomping her feet in anger. "Was that supposed to be my life flashing before my eyes? I don't even think that first part was my life!"

The darkness around her slowly faded into light and she began throwing a fit. "NO! You better explain what that was all about back there!" She yelled to no one in particular. "I demand to speak to whoever's in charge here!"

The light came into focus as sunlight muffled by a heavy mist that was slowly clearing above her prone form.

_What. The. Hell._ She grated out in her mind as she clenched her jaw to keep in a frustrated scream. _It's decided, when I die for real, I am becoming a very unhappy poltergeist until I get answers!_

She slowly got up to her feet and looked around. She felt a slight strain in her neck and brought her hand up to feel two senbon skewering the relatively thin column. She quickly retracted her hand and decided that instead of turning her head to look around she would just have to turn her whole body.

"Jizouko-chan! You're okay!" She heard Sakura call out.

Jizouko just turned and waved slightly, not quite feeling up to the task of talking.

"What did I miss?" She croaked hoarsely when Sakura got closer.

"Kakashi-sensei beat Zabuza and then more mercenaries showed up, but we scared them off," she explained happily.

"Oh, okay…" Jizouko trailed off, "Do you know who I can see about getting these out?" She asked as she gestured towards the needles in her neck.

"Ah! Yes, let me take you to the village doctor with Sasuke-kun!"


	15. Chapter 15

Jizouko scratched lightly at the bandage wrapped around her neck, only to have her hand swatted away none too gently by the village doctor.

"Sit still and don't touch that!" The old lady ordered sternly before going back to her check up.

Jizouko made a face at the woman but remained silent.

"You know, you're borderline malnourished," the doctor informed with a slight frown as she eyed her patient over the rim of her spectacles.

_You know, I only came in here to get my neck wound checked_, Jizouko shot back in her mind as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep quiet.

"Don't your parents feed you back in that village?" The old lady huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"No," Jizouko spat out as she jumped off the examination table. "I don't have parents," she cut off the doctor before she could say anything else and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>"So what'd the doctor say?" Kakashi asked as he leaned up against the wall near the door outside.<p>

"That I'm skinny and scrawny," Jizouko said with a frown as she looked around at the now happy inhabitants of the Land of Waves.

"I could've told you that," Sasuke scoffed as he walked up to join the two.

"No one asked you, Uchiwa," Jizouko shot him a slight glare. "What're you even doing here?"

Sasuke glared deeply at her before turning to his sensei. "Tazuna said that the bridge should be done by the end of the week and the villagers want to have a celebration when it is," he informed with a slight frown on his face.

"Hm…" Kakashi thoughtfully placed a hand on his chin as he thought about this new information. "It _has_ been a while since I last attended a good festival…"

Jizouko rolled her eyes before walking off in the direction of the woods that surrounded the village.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked as he watched her move away.

"To mope about how people view me, what else?" She asked rhetorically, not even turning around.

Unbeknownst to her Kakashi sent Sasuke a meaningful look behind her back, silently ordering his student to follow her to make sure that she didn't end up missing for a little under a day like the last time she had ventured off alone.

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat down in the same clearing she had found earlier with a sigh and pulled out the worn leather journal from one of the pockets of her baggy cargo shorts she had... Borrowed from Takashi, her male team mate.<p>

She opened the front cover and began to read the entries. What the doctor had told her and what Sasuke had said didn't really affect her. She was used to people telling her that she should eat more and train less, and she was especially used to boys, mostly Takashi and Jiro, telling her that she was a scrawny little brat. So the words hadn't phased her nearly as much as they should have.

**It's true that my clan was blessed, but even we are not entirely sure by what. The story changes every time it is told, some will say it was by the god of the four winds himself, Haya-ji, others will say that it was by one of his female servants, and others still will tell that it was a dragon of the wind. The truth is that we are a tribe of nomads with the ability to move with the speed of the winds, if only for a moment. We are a war-like people, but only because the world we live in is so keen to attack those who are different from them.**

**I like to think that we are different from those who dwell in villages in that respect. We welcome any and all with open arms into our camp and invite them to stay for as long as they like. Our numbers are great because of it, and it puts a strain on those in charge to feed so many mouths, but I believe that it is worth it when I look out of my tent and see the smiling faces of my children and grand children as they sit around the fires with the new comers.**

_Aww, that's so sweet!_ Jizouko thought with a small smile as she read. She sincerely wished that more people would view things like this man. She couldn't remember how many times she had been shunned because she was different, a "feral child" as some put it, because she had been found alone in the wilderness.

"Is this where you were when you disappeared?" Sasuke asked from behind her.

Jizouko practically jumped out of her skin when she heard him, she hadn't noticed his approach.

"Is there a reason why you're here?" She asked frostily as she snapped the book shut and turned to glare at him.

"Kakashi wanted me to make sure that you don't die," he said as he walked closer to her with a smirk. "You did get taken out quickly in the fight with Haku."

She felt her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment before she quickly turned her head away so he wouldn't see it.

"I heard you didn't do so hot yourself," she snapped back indignantly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hn, lasted longer than you did," he shot back with a smirk.

"Do you want to fight, Uchiwa?" She asked in annoyance as she stood up and got in his face as best she could. She was at least a good ten centimeters shorted than him.

"Watch it midget, you might get in over your head," he taunted as he looked down into her flashing violet orbs.

Jizouko growled lightly before pushing past him roughly and making her way back to Tazuna's house.

* * *

><p>Jizouko and Team Seven were gathered around two wooded posts in the ground, one for Haku and one for Zabuza. Each had a small offering placed in front of it.<p>

Sakura slapped Naruto on the back of his hand as he tried to reach stealthily for one of the rice balls she had made for the offering.

"What are you doing?" She hissed angrily, "That's bad karma!"

Naruto giggled nervously as he retracted his hand, Jizouko was reasonably sure that he was more worried about incurring Sakura's wrath than the God's.

"But… Kakashi-sensei," the pinkette started after a thoughtful pause. "Were those two correct about ninjas?"

"A shinobi isn't supposed to pursue his own goals," Kakashi started after a pause, "Becoming the country's tool is the most important thing. That's the same for Konoha."

"Is that what it really means to become a true ninja?" Naruto asked with a slight frown on his face. "You know what? I don't like it!" He declared, his mood taking a full 180 degree turn.

"You believe that too?" Sasuke asked, looking out of the corner of his eye to look at his instructor.

"Well," Kakashi sighed heavily, "each and every ninja has to live dealing with that issue. Just like Zabuza and that boy…"

"Okay, I just decided!" Naruto said, a determined look on his face, "I'm going to be a ninja in my own way!"

* * *

><p>"Thanks to you we've completed the bridge, but…" Tazuna trailed off as he said his goodbyes to the shinobi. "This is super sad…"<p>

"Thank you for everything," Kakashi smiled beneath his mask.

"Don't worry! We'll come visit!" Naruto said with a wavering smile.

_No we won't_, Jizouko thought, but kept silent. She didn't want to make the blonde cry or anything.

"You better," Inari tried to hold back his tears and was doing a poor job of it.

"Inari-kun, you're sad, right?" Naruto shouted as he fought back tears of his own.  
>It's alright to cry!"<p>

"I'm not going to cry!" Inari shouted back, "But Naruto-nii, you can cry too!"

"Fine," Naruto said as he turned around and started to walk away. "Later."

_This boy is hopeless!_ Jizouko sighed as she turned to walk too. Naruto had tears and snot pouring down his face.


	16. Chapter 16

"So, Ji-chan," a brown haired bow started with a wide grin on his face. "Did you like your little vacation?"

"What are you talking about, Takashi-kun?" Jizouko asked tiredly before adding, "And don't call me that."

"What, Ji-chan?" Takashi asked, "But it's so cute!" He teased as he reached out to pinch her cheeks.

"Yeah, for a four-year-old," she swatted his hands away before they could come into contact with her face.

"Which you are roughly the height of," he pointed out and opted to just mess up her head instead.

Jizouko clicked her tongue against her teeth and tried to avoid his hand, but he succeeded anyways.

"Takashi!" A sharp voice ordered. "Leave her alone, I got a D-ranked mission for you and Mirai."

"Yes, Akane-sensei," he nodded curtly before leaning down to Jizouko's level. "See you around, Shorty," he whispered before he left the training field with a blonde girl around his age.

"Come here, Jizouko-chan," Akane ordered her student.

Jizouko turned to look at her sensei finally. She was a tall, thin woman with toned muscle adorning every part of her body, her crimson hair fell in short, spiky layers a little past her shoulder blades and her emerald eyes were set into a lightly tanned face. Her jounin vest was worn open, showing the black halter shirt that stopped a few inches above the waistband of her black cargo pants she wore tucked into her ninja sandals.

"Yes, Akane-sensei?" Jizouko asked as she walked closer to her mentor.

"The Chunin Exams are coming up soon," the red head started as she watched the young girl closely to gauge her reaction.

"Yes," Jizouko said evenly, not looking her sensei in the eyes.

"Is there anything you would like to say concerning your admission in it?" Akane fished for any kind of reaction from her usually hot headed student.

"I accept whatever your decision is concerning whether I compete or not," Jizouko said after she took in a deep, shaky breath.

"You're lying," Akane stated simply after a long moment as she crossed her arms.

"Well, I tried telling the truth the last few times and look where that got me," Jizouko said through gritted teeth.

Akane smirked at her student's response before butting a hand on her head and ruffling her hair up a bit.

"The last few times the other competitors would have eaten you alive," she scoffed lightly, "but this time I think you can give them a run for their money."

"The Chunin Exams are designed for a team," Jizouko glared lightly at her teacher as she pushed her hand away. "I think you were more worried about your little cousin getting eaten alive than me. I've shown many times that I can take care of myself."

"And I'm not arguing that," Akane sighed, they had been over this before. "But can you take care of the others? Like you said, the exams are designed for a team."

"So you've barred us from the past Chunin Exams so we could work on our teamwork?" Jizouko asked with an arched eyebrow.

"If that's the way you want to look at it," Akane shrugged her shoulders before starting with a grin, "So, did you enjoy your time off?"

* * *

><p><em>That woman is crazy!<em> Jizouko groaned inwardly as she drug her feet up the stairs to the apartment she shared with Takeshi.

She opened the door and trudged over the threshold into the main area of the small space. She almost tripped over Takeshi who was sitting in the middle of the floor sharpening his weapons.

"Jeeze, watch where you're going next time!" He yelled at her angrily when she almost impaled herself on the katana he was sharpening.

Jizouko grunted in response before falling face first onto the futon she had set up for herself. There was not a part of her body that didn't hurt from the day's one-on-one training with Akane. She had said that it was punishment for missing training with her real team, but Jizouko had the sinking feeling that it was really for her sensei's sadistic pleasure.

"Hey, you alive?" She felt Takeshi prod her gently with his now sheathed katana.

"No," her words were muffled by the pillow.

"I got something for you," he tried to bribe her awake.

"I don't care!" _Unless it's food…_

"I'll give you a hint; it has a d in it."

"Dinner?" Jizouko asked, bolting upright.

"Nope, I.D. card," Takeshi grinned at the heartbroken look in her eyes as he held out the piece of paper.

Jizouko groaned and fell back with a soft thump. "I hate you so much," she whined as she closed her eyes.

"Come on, read it!" He prompted giddily.

"Aren't you some sort of super ninja and therefore above emotions such as excitement?" She sighed as she opened her eyes; she was not going to get any rest if she didn't at least pretend to look at it

She grabbed the paper out of his hand and skimmed over its contents.

"Moriyama Jizouko?" She asked, looking up at the older male quickly.

"Yeah!" Takeshi confirmed with a large grin now adorning his features. "You've been officially adopted! By me!"

Jizouko stared at him for a long moment before a smile that could rival his in size broke out across her face and her eyes welled up with tears of joy.

"Take-nii!" She said before throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. Words couldn't describe how happy she was. "Thank you," she whispered as her tears spilled over her cheeks.

* * *

><p>It turned out that Takeshi had another surprise with a d in its name, two bedroom apartment.<p>

Jizouko hummed happily as she arranged her things in her new room. She was almost ashamed to find out that the majority of her possessions were scrolls and shinobi weapons. She made a mental note to change that later.

She sat Indian style in the middle of her new bed and dumped out the contents of her worn brown messenger bag that she used on her missions. A small first aid kit tumbled out followed by a whet stone and a handmade bracelet.

Jizouko smiled and picked up the bracelet, she remembered when she had made it. The small silver charm said forever, and she knew that Takashi had one that said best and Mirai had one that said friends.

"_I want the one that says "best" because I'm the best!" A young Takashi boasted proudly as he grabbed the silver charm._

"_Um… I guess I'll take this one," the young version of Mirai said shyly as she reached for one of the remaining two charms._

"_Okay, then this one is mine!" Little Jizouko grinned as she picked up the last one. "You know what this means, right?" She asked the two sitting next to her. _

_Takashi and Mirai shook their heads no._

"_It means we'll be friends forever no matter what!"_

The bracelet was too small to fit around her wrist now, she had out grown it a few years back, but she kept it for sentimental reasons. She set the bracelet on the bedside table to remind her to make a longer cord for the charm later.

She reached into the bottom of the bag and felt around for a moment before opening the false bottom and pulling out the hidden contents.

She stared at the first worn photograph for a long moment. The picture was faded with age and there were lines from where it had been folded repeatedly over the years, but the image was still clear. It showed the grinning face of Jizouko when she was around four or five just barely peering over the bottom of the picture and the teenage faces of Takeshi, Akane and one more not far away. The other face was framed with two tone hairs, the top few layers white and the rest midnight black and a set of ruby eyes sparkling from beneath the multicolored bangs.

Jizouko stared at the photo for a long moment before placing it on the windowsill above her headboard and pulling out another picture from the bag.

This one was much more recent but still slightly worn. It was taken not long after she had graduated from the Academy and had been placed on a team with Mirai and Takashi. She had gotten her ears double pierced with Mirai in celebration of the occasion, so matching silver earrings sparkled from the second hole in each of their earlobes. Jizouko's purple streaked hair fell lightly over her closed eyes while her grin took up the majority of her face. She had her arms slung around the shoulders of her team mates, Mirai on her right and Takashi on her left. Takashi was doing his best not to smile, but his green eyes were smiling, even if his mouth wasn't. His brown hair fell in their same short spikes over his forehead which was now adorned with a new Konohagakure hitai-ate. Mirai's clear blue eyes were closed slightly due to her large smile and her blonde bangs fell over her hitai-ate secured around her forehead like her male team mate.

Jizouko smiled widely back at the faces in this picture as she placed it on her windowsill along with the other, making a mental note to get frames for each.

There were two more items left in the bag. She stared into the bottom, knowing what she was looking at even if she couldn't see it in the dim light. After a long moment she replaced the false bottom and placed the bag gently under her bed before curling up on the new mattress, clutching her knees to her chest.


	17. Chapter 17

Akane sighed heavily as she set her now empty cup of sake down on the counter of the bar, leaning her cheek on her hand lazily as she refilled it from the bottle.

"I heard you're letting your team enter the Chunin Exams this time," a deep male baritone said from behind her.

"What? Afraid my brats will show your brats up, Hatake?" She quipped as she took a long sip of her alcohol.

"Hardly," Kakashi scoffed as he took the stool next to her. "Just surprised is all."

"Yeah, well… What're you gonna do?" She asked rhetorically with a sad smile on her face. "They won't stay kids forever…"

Kakashi nodded silently in agreement as he filled up a small cup of sake from her bottle for himself.

"Hey! That's mine!" She protested loudly as she tried to snatch the bottle away from him, but the alcohol was making her movements sloppy so she ended up hitting him instead.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to share?" He sighed in mock disappointment as he shook his head playfully.

* * *

><p>Jizouko silently pulled her white tank top over her head and frowned slightly when it stopped before her navel. She had grown a lot since she had last worn it… She shrugged it off as she buckled a thick black canvas belt around her exposed hip bones. The belt at least half a dozen small pouches sewn to it and plus the two large pouches she attached to the back she could carry anything and everything she would need for the upcoming exam. She tugged on a pair of black fingerless gloves with small grips on the palm and smoothed down her plain black shorts that barely reached her mid-thigh.<p>

_I really need to do some serious shopping…_ She sighed aloud at the thought, shopping was by far her least favorite activity.

She quietly snuck into the living room of the apartment she shared with Takeshi and tried to exit without being noticed by him, but ended up failing miserably at it.

"Did you honestly think you could sneak past me?" He asked with an arched eyebrow and crossed arms as he leaned on the doorframe to the kitchen.

Jizouko remained quiet but the embarrassed flush on her face said that she did.

"Come on, I made you breakfast," he jerked his head towards the kitchen.

She followed him with a frown. It was about three weeks ago that he started his "Soldier pills are not an acceptable meal replacer!" campaign, and because of it she had grown at least six centimeters.

One the island in the center of the modest kitchen there was laid out a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice, and a small plate with a salmon cutlet.

"Who are you, and what have you done with the bachelor I live with?" Jizouko demanded suspiciously when she saw the meal in front of her.

"Just shut up and eat it," Takeshi ordered as his eye twitched slightly.

* * *

><p>Jizouko lounged lazily on the classroom desk next to Takashi and Mirai as the other Genin chattered around them.<p>

"Well, well, well," a nasally voice sneered from behind the group, causing them to turn around. The voice belonged to a young girl, around 15 or so, with straight black hair and brown eyes, dressed in an obscenely short black skirt and tight white shirt with her hitai-ate secured around her neck.

"Look what we have here," she continued with an ugly look on her face. "Takashi-kun, you should stop associating with these losers and come hang with your equals," she declared as she flipped her straight black hair over her shoulder.

"No thanks," Takashi shot the girl down without missing a beat and turning back around.

"Aw, have a heart, Taka-kun," Jizouko chided lightly as she slung an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Can't you see that it must have taken her forever to put on her face just to have it punched in later today?"

The girl's blood began to visibly boil at this comment, Jizouko half expected steam to start pouring out of her ears.

Before she could retort a soft male voice cut her off. "Misaki-chan," the voice called out, "You probably shouldn't try to pick a fight with that group, especially Jizouko-san."

A tall boy walked up to the group that was now forming around the desk. He had dark green hair that complemented his amber brown eyes as his long bangs fell over his hitai-ate and wore a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a black v-neck shirt that revealed his toned chest. Misaki looked at him angrily before turning and walking away in a huff.

"I apologize for my team mate," the boy sighed as he ruffled the hair on the back of his head. "I'm afraid that she's never quite gotten over anything that happened back at the Academy…"

"Junnosuke-kun is so polite," Jizouko giggled as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "I wish he was on my team instead of Taka-kun," she stuck her tongue out at her male team mate at this.

Takashi gave her a strange look before grunting and closing his eyes, trying to get some sleep. Mirai on the other hand rolled her eyes at the younger girl's actions and then got up, claiming that she had to go to the bathroom.

"Ha ha, they're so antisocial," Jizouko laughed nervously at her team mate's actions as she was now left pretty much alone with the green haired boy.

"Yeah, nothing like you," Junnosuke agreed with a slight nod of his head. "Almost nothing like you. It's a wonder why you're such close friends."

Jizouko shrugged her shoulders as she looked away. "Not really," she said softly, "we've known each other for such a long time; their families have practically adopted me."

The two fell silent for a long moment before Junnosuke started up the conversation again. "I heard that Moriyama-san adopted you, isn't he the guy that used to pick you up from the Academy?"

Takashi scoffed loudly at this. "I bet you wish she had taken your last name, Takeda," he muttered as he shot a dark look at the other boy.

Junnosuke paled slightly before he coughed into his hand lightly and excused himself. "I have to go make sure that Misaki-chan isn't picking any more fights."

Jizouko turned and smacked Takashi not very lightly on the chest. "Why'd you have to go and do that?" She demanded angrily.

_He's much cuter than I remember… Wait, what did I just think?_ She thought with wide eyes, _Oh Gods, I've turned into Kyoko!_

"Trust me, you'll thank me later," Takashi mumbled as he settled back into his seat and closed his eyes.

Jizouko glared at him lightly before lying back down on the desk and closing her eyes herself.

* * *

><p>"Do you have cards with info on individuals?" Sasuke asked the grey haired male in front of him.<p>

"Heh heh, there are some guys you're worried about?" The spectacled teen chuckled lightly before continuing, "Of course, the info on all of this exam's participants isn't perfect but I do have it. Even of you guys. Say something about these guys and I'll take a look."

"Gaara of Sunagakure, Rock Lee from Konoha, and Jizouko of Konoha," Sasuke listed off as his eyes flicked to where he could see the purple eyed kunoichi talking to a green haired teen he had never seen before.

"Oh, you know their names, this should be easy then," the grey haired boy seated on the floor said as he drew three cards from the top of the deck beside him.

"Show me," Sasuke ordered impatiently.

"Okay, first is Rock Lee," the seated male read off of the first card. "He's a year older than you guys. Mission history: 20 completed D-rank, 12 completed C-rank. His sensei is Gai. His taijutsu has improved greatly in this past year, the rest is nothing impressive. Last year he gained attention as a talented new Genin but he did not participate in the exam. Like you guys this is his first time. On his team are Hyuuga Neji and Ten Ten."

"Next is Sabuku no Gaara," he flipped to the next card. "Mission history: eight C-ranks, one B-rank. Wow, a B-rank mission as a Genin… Since he's a new comer from a foreign country I don't have much info but it seems he returned from all his missions without even a scratch!"

"Finally, Moriyama Jizouko," he read off of the last card he had drawn. "She's the same age as you guys but she graduated from the Academy two years ago, wow. It's also her first time taking the exam. Mission history: one B-rank – her too? - 20 C-rank and 48 D-rank, impressive. It says that her taijutsu and weapons skills are exceptional and her ninjutsu is slightly above average and genjutsu is her worst. Her sensei is Akazaki Akane and her team mates are Akazaki Takashi and Yume Mirai."

Sasuke smirked at this; he knew she was holding back in the Land of Waves! This exam was already turning out to be more interesting than he was expecting.


	18. Chapter 18

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" Jizouko heard the blonde declare from the back of the classroom. She craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the outspoken male and saw his orange clad figure standing with other new Genin, or so she assumed. "I won't lose to you bastards! You got that?"

A hush fell over the once buzzing classroom and all eyes turned to him.

"Excuse me, but my parents were happily married when they had me…" Takashi drawled in mock offense as he rolled his eyes, writing the incident off as some kid running his mouth.

Mirai and Jizouko giggled at his comment before striking up a conversation together, ignoring the scene by the doors.

"Isn't that kid on the team that you spent time with?" Mirai asked as she lent in close to her team mate.

"Yeah," Jizouko winced slightly, "he's kinda special if you get my gist…"

"So he's like you but on a different team," Takashi quipped as he folded his arms behind his head and placed his feet on the desk.

"Tch, you wish you were as special as me!" Jizouko grunted in her defense as a small vein throbbed on her forehead.

Mirai and Takashi shared a small laugh at her expense and the group lapsed into a comfortable silence while they scoped out the competition.

There was a loud commotion in the back of the room and Jizouko rose from her reclined position to get a better look. There was a grey haired guy with his long hair pulled into a long pony tail doubled over surrounded by who she had assumed to be the new Genin. Judging by the pile of goop very close to the grey haired guy and his posture, he had just thrown up.

_Sucks…_ Jizouko sympathized as she leaned back down to the desk.

"Quiet down, you worthless bastards!" An authoritative voice boomed from the front of the classroom as a plume of smoke blocked the source.

"What is it with people insisting that my parents weren't married when I was born today? Is it because of the way I'm dressed?" Takashi asked, turning towards his female team mates.

"No, Takashi-kun," Mirai sighed as she rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face. "Nothing about your outfit makes you look like an illegitimate child."

"…You guys are really weird…" Jizouko said as she gave them a strange look.

The smoke had cleared in the front of the classroom to reveal a group of shinobi dressed in a plain grey uniform with a man in a black trench coat standing in front of them looking very displeased with life in general.

"Thanks for waiting," the man started, having calmed down from his earlier outburst. "I am Morino Ibiki, the examiner for the Chunin Selection Exam's first test."

"I've heard about him," Jizouko informed her team in a low whisper. "Takeshi told me that he's the head of the Interrogation Squad."

"Good for him," Takashi brushed off the information, but she'd known him for long enough to know that he'd filed the information away to be used later.

"He's definitely got intimidation down to a science," Mirai complemented as she watched the reactions of those around her as he reprimanded a squad near the back of the room.

"Otogakure Genin, no fighting before the exam," Ibiki declared as he pointed a black gloved finger at the trio in question.

"I apologize," the leader of the squad said, "this is our first time… We got a bit carried away…"

"Here's a good opportunity to say this," he started as he placed his hand in his coat pocket. "There will be no fighting without the permission of the examiner. Even if permission is granted, killing your opponent will not be tolerated. Those pigs that disobey me will be failed immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

"Oh, so I'm a pig now?" Takashi raised an eyebrow, "Something tells me that today will not be very good for my ego…"

"We will now start the first test on the Chunin Exam," Ibiki said, ignoring the comments of the various competitors. "Instead of your current seating arrangements you will pick one of these tabs and sit in the seat assigned to you. We will then hand out the exams."

One of the grey clad Chunin held up a stack of papers to show what the head proctor meant.

"WHAT?" Naruto practically exploded, "A PAPER TEST?"

* * *

><p>Jizouko stared up at the ceiling as she had her arms folded behind her head and leaned back in her seat.<p>

"Ah, Jizouko-chan!" Junnosuke's voice sounded startled.

She turned her head to the right to see the green haired boy standing in the aisle next to her seat.

"Hm? Are you sitting next to me, Junnosuke-kun?" She asked as she sat up straight.

"Ha ha, I guess so!" The teen laughed good naturedly, "It'll be just like back at the Academy!"

"Yeah," she agreed with a smile of her own. "Speaking of which, there's a lot of people from the Academy here, is this test insanely hard or something?"

"That's the rumor," Junnosuke said as he slid past Jizouko to his seat directly to her left. "But I don't think it'll be too hard for you. You're something of a legend in your own time, you know."

A light flush made its way onto Jizouko's cheeks and she was about to respond when she was cut off by the head proctor.

"Do not turn your tests over," Ibiki ordered as he stood in front of the chalkboard. "Listen closely to what I'm about to say. There are many important rules to this first test. I'll write it on the board while I explain, but questions will not be allowed, so listen carefully."

"The first rule," he said as he turned to write on the board. "You will all start off with ten points. The test is made up of ten questions and each one is worth a point, but this test uses a subtraction system. Basically if you answer all the questions correctly, you keep your ten points. But say you miss three questions, you lose three points and will have seven points."

"The second rule," he said as he turned back to face the test takers. "This is a team test. Whether you pass or not will be determined by the combined scores of your team mates. So, each team will compete to see how many points they can hold on to from the initial team total of 30."

"Wait a second!" Sakura's voice shouted as her hand shot up over the sea of heads. "I don't understand this initial points system either, but why is it a team test?"

"Shut up, you don't have the right to question me." Jizouko had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from shouting out her agreement to his statement. "There is a reason for this, be quiet and listen. The third rule is that during the exam, anyone caught by the proctors doing sneaky activities, namely cheating, will have two points subtracted for every offense." It was hard to miss the predatory smirk that crossed his face.

_Sneaky activities?_ Jizouko snickered in her mind; she had definitely heard that phrased better before.

"So there will be some who will lose all their points during the exam and be asked to leave," Ibiki continued in his same authoritative tone.

"We'll have our eyes on you guys," one of the proctors said in a sing-song voice as he lounged next to a fellow Chunin.

Jizouko looked around the room to see that there were proctors covering every millimeter of the perimeter wall of the room. _This should be fun…_

"Realize that the pathetic ones that get caught cheating will be destroying themselves. As shinobis trying to achieve the level of Chunin, be proud ninjas. And the final rule," Ibiki added almost as an afterthought. "Those that lose all their initial points during the test and those that don't answer any question correctly will be failed along with their two team mates. The exam will last an hour. Begin!"

The test takers quickly flipped over their tests and pencils could already be heard scribbling away furiously. Jizouko scanned the contents of her test and a small smirk appeared on her face, _This should be lots of fun…_


	19. Chapter 19

"Umm, I'd just like to know one thing," a kunoichi started timidly as she stood up from her seat, breaking the silence that had fallen over the classroom. "How many teams will pass this test?"

Ibiki chuckled lightly at this statement. "It's not like knowing will help you," he said in a cold voice, "or do you want to be disqualified?"

"Sorry," the girl apologized as she sat back down.

Jizouko frowned slightly before looking back down at her test. Some of these questions she knew she could answer, but the majority of them may as well have been written in a different language.

She looked around her discreetly as she held her pencil loosely in her right hand. She was seated in the middle column of desks at the end of the middle row, not the ideal seat to be in if she were to cheat, but one of the better ones.

She quickly and quietly flicked the fingers of her left hand out a couple of times, sending invisible chakra strings out to connect to the pencil of the Genin sitting across the aisle and a few rows ahead before switching her pencil to her left hand and attaching the other end of the chakra stings to the end of her pencil and holding it loosely in her hand. The pencil began to move in response to the tugs that her "helper" sent on the chakra string with each move of his pencil and Jizouko hunched over her test slightly to give the impression that she was working diligently at the given problems.

* * *

><p>Jizouko tapped a beat onto the table with the eraser of her pencil as she watched the seconds tick by on the clock. Her "helper" had finished answering the questions fifteen minutes ago and was patiently waiting for the tenth to be given verbally by Ibiki. She, however, had been born without a patient bone in her body and had taken to doodling on the blank spaces of her paper. So far she had drawn a kunai, three shiruken, a sun, a monster with a caption bubble that said "This is taking too damn long!" and she was just about to begin a Yin Yang symbol when Ibiki started talking again.<p>

"Okay, we will now start the tenth question," Ibiki started as he looked at the remaining test takers. "Now, before we get to it I'd like to go over the added rules for this question."

_More rules?_ Jizouko groaned aloud and rested her forehead on the wooden desk with a thunk.

The door to the classroom opened and shut, causing many of the occupants to turn around and look back at the entrant.

"Heh, nice timing," Ibiki acknowledged the black hooded boy. "Was the time you spent playing with dolls beneficial? Just sit down," he ordered, not giving the boy anytime to answer.

"I'll explain now," he said as he walked toward the chalkboard again. "These are the rules of desperation. First, for the tenth question you must decide whether you will take it or not."

_Is that even a question? We've come too far not to take it!_ Jizouko reasoned in her mind as she watched the head proctor warily.

"Choose?" a blonde kunoichi echoed. "What happens if we choose not to?"

"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero, you will fail!" Ibiki answered sternly, "Along with your two team mates."

He paused for a moment as some of the testers shouted out their disagreements with that rule. "And now," he continued calmly, "the other rule. If you chose to take it and answer it incorrectly," he paused here for dramatic effect, "you will lose the right to take the Chunin Selection Exam again."

"What kind of stupid rule is that?" a boy with a small white dog perched on his head demanded heatedly. "There are guys here who have taken this exam before!"

Ibiki started chuckling darkly at this. "You guys were unlucky. This year it's my rules. But I'm giving you a way out. Those that aren't confident can choose not to take it and try again next year," he offered with a slight smirk on his face. "Now let's begin the tenth question. Those that do not wish to take it, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave."

A tense silence fell over the Genin gathered in the room. Jizouko glanced around to judge the reactions of the testers around her. She knew that neither she nor her team mates were about to raise their hands and deny their chance at advancement.

"I won't take it!" a dark haired shinobi declared from a few rows ahead of her as he raised his hand and stood up. "I'm sorry… Gennai, Inoho," he apologized to his team mates with a bowed head.

"Number 50, fail!" a proctor declared as he confirmed the male's seating number. "130, 111, also fail!"

More testers followed his example until 26 teams were left in the room. Near the front she saw Naruto's hand begin to rise shakily into the air and she felt a slight pang in her chest for him. She knew that he wasn't mature enough to take this test just yet, but she also knew how important becoming stronger meant to him.

"Don't underestimate me!" the blonde yelled as he slammed his hand down into his desk, "I will not run! I'll take it! Even if I'm a Genin forever! I'll find a way to become Hokage anyway, so I don't care! I am not afraid!"

Jizouko smiled knowingly as she rolled her eyes at his antics, did he really have to go and make a speech like that? If he would've kept his mouth shut then more people would've dropped out and the competition would be more interesting.

"I'll ask you again," Ibiki said as he fixed him with an even look. "Your life is riding on this decision. This is your last chance to quit.

"I follow my unbending word, that's my Nindo," Naruto shot back as he met Ibiki's gaze.

"Good decision," he chuckled lightly. "Now to everyone still remaining," he paused here to draw out the moment. "I congratulate you on passing the first test!"


	20. Chapter 20

It took a long moment for his statement to sink in, but when it did a large grin broke out across Jizouko's face.

_Easiest test ever_, she congratulated herself mentally as she reclined in her seat and placed her hands behind her head.

"Wait… What do you mean?" Sakura's confused voice asked shakily. "We already pass? What about the tenth question?"

"There was never such a thing," Ibiki grinned. "Or you could say that those two choices were the tenth question."

"Hey!" a blonde kunoichi shouted in frustration. "Then what were the first nine questions for? They were pointless then!"

"They were not pointless," Ibiki contested calmly, "they had already served their intended purpose. To test your individual information gathering ability."

"First," he started in another explanation, "as the rules explained, success on this test is based on the whole team doing well. This put pressure on each member not to mess things up for their team mates."

"I had a feeling this test was like that." Jizouko could just see the top of Naruto's blonde head nodding in agreement.

_Liar_, she shot down in her head with a roll of her eyes.

"But the questions on this test were not the types a mere Genin could answer," Ibiki continued, "Because of that I'm sure most of the people came to the same conclusion that to score points you'll have to cheat. Basically the premise of this test is to cheat. As cheating targets, we had two or so Chunins who knew all the answers mixed into the crowed, to help you guys out."

Jizouko turned to look at Junnosuke who was still sitting next to her and gave him an inquisitive look.

"You caught me," he said with a sheepish grin as he raised his hands playfully in defeat. "I was the only one on my team to pass the first time. I'm surprised you didn't cheat off of me…"

"Pft," she snorted in laughter, "You used to cheat off of me, remember?"

"Yeah, and then we'd both have to stay after to make up the test because we both failed it!" Junnosuke laughed at the memory and the slight blush that crept up Jizouko's cheeks.

"Well, you still cheated off of me!" she muttered in self-defense as she turned back to face the front of the room.

"Ha ha ha ha! I saw right through that!" Naruto boasted loudly, "You'd have to be a moron to not notice that!"

"But those that cheat poorly fail, of course," Ibiki said as he reached up to undo his hitai-ate to reveal a bald head covered in scars. "Because at times, information is more important that life, and on missions and the battlefield, people have risked their lives to get their hands on it."

_Someone's not winning any beauty pageants anytime soon…_ Jizouko thought dryly as she noted his appearance.

"If the enemy of a third party notices you," Ibiki continued as he replaced his hitai-ate on his head, "there is no guarantee the info will be accurate. I want you to remember this. Important information in your hands can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and for the village. So we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those that did not have the abilities."

"But," the blonde kunoichi started up again, "I don't understand the final question."

"But question ten," Ibiki started with a small grin, "is the true purpose of this test. Let me explain," he said after a few voices of confusion sounded around the room. "The tenth question the take it or not take it decision, obviously these were painful choices. Those who choose the latter fail along with their team mates. Those who choose to take it could lose the chance to take the test again. A true leap of faith."

"Now about these two choices, say you guys become Chunins," he started a hypothetical situation. "Your mission is to steal a secret document. The amount of ninjas, their abilities, etc, are unknown to you. And of course there could be traps set all around you. Now do you accept, or not accept?"

"Because you don't want to die," he began listing counter arguments, "because you don't want your comrades hurt, can you avoid this dangerous mission? The answer is no! No matter what the danger, there are missions you can't avoid. The ability to be courageous, and survive any hardship ate the abilities needed to become a Chunin Capitan."

"Those who can't put their destinies on the line, who cling to the uncertain future of 'there's always next year" and then walk away from their chance," he clarified his earlier statement, "Those pieces of trash who can only make such cowardly choices don't have the right to become Chunnin, that's how I feel!"

"Those who choose to take it answered the tough tenth question correctly. You will be able to survive any troubles you face in the future. You made it through the entrance; the first test of the Chunin Selection Exam is now finished. I wish you guys luck," he finished with a kind look.

"Hell yeah! Wish us luck!" Naruto cheered loudly from his seat.

Suddenly a black covered something came crashing through a window, breaking the atmosphere in the room. The thing was spinning and the black fell away from the center to form a banner behind the dark haired woman it was concealing.

_Someone likes to make a flashy entrance…_ Jizouko drawled as she stared at the new comer.


	21. Chapter 21

"Listen up!" the dark haired woman ordered, "This is no time to be celebrating! I am the examiner for the second test, Mitarashi Anko! Now let's go! Follow me!"

A thick silence fell over the room as the examinees tried to digest what had just happened.

"I like this one!" Jizouko said with a grin as she looked over to Junnosuke, "She seems like fun!"

"You would like a crazy person like her…" Junnosuke sighed as he shook his head slightly. "Good luck on the next part."

"78?" Anko exclaimed after she counted the remaining Genin. "Ibiki-san! You left 26 teams? The test was too easy this time!"

"This time there are a lot of outstanding ones," Ibiki defended himself as he peeked out from behind the black cloth.

"Bah, that's fine," Anko scoffed as she placed her hands on her hips, "I'll at least cut them in half in the second test. Ahh, I'm getting excited," a bloodthirsty grin broke out across her face, "I'll explain everything once we've changed places, follow me."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the stage for the second test, practice area 44. Also known as 'The Forest of Death'!" Anko declared after they had arrived at a fenced off portion of land.<p>

Jizouko crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head slightly as she looked critically at the trees.

"It doesn't look like much death is going on in there," she commented as she took in the lush green leaves and moss. "I mean, I get it if you're trying to be intimidating, but seriously? The Forest of Death? That's so cliché. Try something more graphic, like 'The Forest of Detached Limbs and Disemboweled Organs' that strikes more fear into the heart…"

"I'm sure they'll take that under advisement," Takashi said as he hit her on the back of the head, "but for now let's try to keep the stupid comments to a minimum."

Jizouko frowned and rubbed the spot he hit as she bit her tongue to keep from talking back.

"You'll soon find out why it's called 'The Forest of Death'," Anko said with a devious grin.

"'You'll soon find out why it's called 'The Forest of Death''," Naruto mocked as he did a strange dance, Jizouko could see him clearly standing in the front of the group. "You think that scares me? That's nothing! I'm not afraid!" he declared as he pointed a finger at the proctor.

"Yeah, you're spirited…" Anko trailed off with a sweet smile on her face. She broke her façade when she threw a kunai at the blonde boy, cutting him on his cheek. "Kids like you are quickly killed, heh heh heh," she chuckled darkly as she leaned over his shoulder. "Spraying that red blood I love," she finished as she licked at the liquid running down Naruto's cheek.

"Here's your kunai," one of the test takers said darkly as she held out the tool with her tongue.

"Heh, I didn't know your mother was competing, Takashi," Jizouko nudged her team mate with her elbow as she chuckled lightly.

"I'm telling her you said that," Takashi threatened with a dark smirk.

Jizouko palled slightly before moving closer to Mirai, not liking the aura her male team mate was emitting.

"Why thank you," Anko said to the kunoichi looming over her shoulder. "But you shouldn't sneak up behind me, unless you want to die." The threat wasn't even veiled…

"No. I just get so excited when I see red blood, plus you cut my precious hair, I couldn't help it…" The kunoichi explained as she withdrew her unusually long tongue.

"Sorry about that," Anko apologized as the kunoichi returned to her team.

"Looks like we have a lot of blood thirsty ones in this test. Heh heh heh, this should be fun," she chuckle to herself before turning serious again. "Now before we start the second test, there's something I have to pass out," she pulled out a handful of papers from her over coat.

"There will be deaths in this one," she explained with a smile, "and if I don't have you sign these, it will all be my responsibility, heh heh. I'm going to explain the second test, and then you can sign it afterwards. And then each team will check in at that booth behind me."

"Ok! I will now explain the second test," she said as she passed off her handful of paper to Naruto. "Simply put, you will attempt the ultimate survival test. First I'll explain the area in which it will take place," she unrolled a scroll to reveal a map of the forest. "Around practice area number 44 are 44 locked gates. Forest, river, and a tower in the center. From the gates to the tower is about ten kilometers."

"During the survival in here, you will be asked to complete a certain task. Using your many weapons and jutsu, you will compete in a no rules scroll battle. You will fight over these two scrolls, the 'Heaven' and 'Earth'," she explained as she held out two scrolls with the name written on them in kanji.

"There are 78 people are here, meaning 26 teams. 13 teams will get the 'Heaven' scroll, and the other 13 will get the 'Earth' scroll. Your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls."

_Well, at least she's keeping her word about cutting our numbers in half…_ Jizouko thought as she digested the information.

"But there's a time limit," Anko added as she stuffed her hands back into her pockets. "This second test will last 120 hours, exactly five days."

"Five days?" "What about dinner?" Were some of the exclamations heard from the Genin.

"You're on your own," Anko shrugged it off as not her problem. "The forest is full of food. Just watch out for the man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, poisonous plants…" she trailed off in her list of things to look out for. "And 13 teams passing is not likely. As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther. And the time to rest will become shorter. And the area is crawling with enemies. You won't get much sleep. So not only will some fail by losing the scroll, but some will die from the harshness of the course."

"Well that's a lovely thought," Mirai said softly to her team mates, earning a small smirk from each.

"Now I'll talk about what will disqualify you," Anko said as she held up a hand to silence the murmurs in the crowd. "First, those that don't make it to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit. Second, those who lose a team mate or those who have a team mate. As a rule, there's no quitting in the middle, you will be in the forest for five days. And one more rule, you must not look inside the scroll until you make it to the tower."

"What happens if you do?" Naruto asked nervously, voicing everyone's unasked question.

"That will be a surprise for anyone who does," there was almost a girlish quality in Anko's voice when she said this. "A Chunin will be asked to handle classifies information. This is to test your trust worthiness. That's it for the explanations. Exchange your three forms for your scroll. Then choose a gate and get ready for the start. A final word of advice, don't die..."

Jizouko grabbed a form from the stack that was being passed around and looked over its contents for the blanks she needed to fill out.

"Have you ever been pregnant or are pregnant right now?" she read off of the paper before looking at Mirai with an arched eyebrow. "How often could that have possibly come up?"


	22. Chapter 22

"We need a plan before we go in there," Mirai said as she and the rest of her team were waiting for the second test to begin. "We can't go in there half-cocked and expect to come out alive."

"Aww," Jizouko whined, "but that's what I do best!"

"We've noticed," Takashi deadpanned as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I like our usual plan, you know," Jizouko ignored the brown haired male. "The one where we don't die…"

"No, you remember the last time we tried that?" Takashi asked as he fixed her with a pointed look. "You almost died."

"But I didn't."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"Moving on," Mirai cut into her team mate's banter, "we can at least plan for what to do if we get separated."

"Meet in the center," Takashi and Jizouko suggested at the same time.

"Really, Mirai, I thought you were the brains of this operation!" Jizouko teased lightly with a grin.

* * *

><p>"Stop right there!" a shaky voice ordered from behind the trio.<p>

"What's this?" Jizouko asked as she turned to face the voice.

"We know you have an Earth scroll! Give us your scroll, or else!" The voice belonged to a scrawny boy with short black hair and matching black eyes wearing a Sunagaukre headband. The two behind him tried their best to look intimidating, but weren't doing a very good job of it.

"A little bold, don't you think?" Takashi asked as he raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Everyone has their own style, Takashi-kun," Mirai shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me? I said give us your scroll!" the boy shouted again, its earlier timidity replaced with frustration.

"Okay, okay! Don't get your panties in a bunch!" Jizouko chided as she reached into her pouch.

Mirai and Takashi glanced towards her quickly but turned their attention back to the team in front of them when they saw the sly grin on her face.

"All you have to do is pick one!" Jizouko grinned as she began juggling the identical scrolls she had pulled out of her pouch. "Come on! Pick a scroll, any scroll! Every participant is guaranteed a prize!" she announced with the same grin on her face.

"Stop playing around and hand over your scroll already!" the boy was getting fed up with her behavior.

"If you say so," she chirped as she tossed a random scroll to him.

A slight twitch of a finger tugged on the chakra string she had attached to the scroll and caused it to open in midair and land unfurled at the feet of the opposing team.

"What's going on?" the leader grunted as he looked down at the almost unintelligible kanji scribbled on the paper.

"Congratulations!" Jizouko grinned widely, "Your prize is sleep!" An almost visible vapor rose from the kanji and enveloped the three boys.

Their eyes widened before the gas took full effect and then fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"Where did you get that from?" Mirai asked with a slight frown as she watched Jizouko roll up the scroll.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jizouko denied as she tucked the scroll back into her pouch.

"Who cares?" Takashi asked as he went through the Suna team's pouches. "We got our scroll no problem early on, now we can just relax at the tower."

* * *

><p>"I thought you were an expert on traps or something," Takashi quipped with a slight smirk on his face as he watched Jizouko struggle to get out of the net she was suspended in.<p>

"I'm sorry; I was a bit busy making sure you didn't fall down the pit that you almost walked right in to. Next time I'll be sure to look out for myself first…" Jizouko said darkly as the net swung in the air.

"Yeah, yeah," Takashi sighed as he lazily made his way to his team mate.

"No, wait!" Jizouko tried to get him to stop, but it was too late.

There was a faint twanging sound as a thin wire snapped, releasing a swarm of senbon needles at the team. Multiple clangs sounded before the once fling needles fell to the ground.

"Honestly," Mirai sighed as she lowered the kunai she had used to deflect the weapons. "What am I going to do with you two?"

"I don't really care either way," a new voice growled lowly as nearby bushes rustled. "But I would strongly advise that you hand over your scrolls if you want to keep your lives."

Jizouko and Mirai both looked over the new comer while Takashi continued to focus on freeing Jizouko. This new shinobi was a far cry from the first one that had challenged them, his frame was tall and adorned with muscle and he had a shock of blonde hair that fell over his Iwagaukre hitai-ate.

"Yeah, how about no?" Jizouko shot down the idea as she glared through the mesh that surrounded her.

"I don't think you're in a position to say anything right now, so why don't you just sit tight?" the new shinobi said as he shot her a frosty look.

"We're not handing over anything," Mirai said as she looked defiantly at the new comer.

"Why don't we let the man of the team answer that question and you can go back to playing kunoichi?"

"Do your thing, Mirai," Takashi waved a kunai over his shoulder, still not paying any mind to the Iwa-nin.

Takashi finally cut Jizouko out of the net, causing her to fall ungracefully to the ground. The second her body hit the ground the air wavered and the positions were switched. The Iwa-nin was caught in the net while Takashi, Jizouko, and Mirai were standing before him with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Now, because we're so nice we're going to let you keep your scroll, if you even have one," Takashi said evenly. "But because we aren't saints we're going to leave you here until your team or someone else cuts you down."

"Oh, and by the way," Mirai added in faux innocence, "The senbon trap is in place, so watch your step."


	23. Chapter 23

Jizouko read the kanji posted on the wall above her head with a slight frown on her face.

"'If you lack Heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared'," she read aloud to her team mates next to her. "What does that mean?"

"It means you should go read a book, Jizouko," Takashi teased as he nudged her with his elbow.

"You should too, Takashi," Mirai scoffed as she kept her eyes on the symbols.

"Oh yeah? Well, 'If you lack Earth, run in the fields, seek advantages'!" he countered with the other half of the riddle.

"'And if you have both Heaven and Earth you can succeed in even the most dangerous missions'," Jizouko thought about this for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever, let's open the scrolls already!"

The trio gathered together and Takashi and Jizouko held the two scrolls out in the middle.

"On three," Mirai said, "One… Two—"

"Three!" Jizouko interrupted her count and quickly opened her scroll followed by Takashi.

Two columns of smoke trailed up from the scrolls and the team immediately dropped them and jumped back with weapons bared.

"Hey guys," Junnosuke's voice came from where they had dropped the scrolls. "Congratulations."

"Takeda," Takashi growled slightly while his team mates put down their weapons.

"What are you doing here, Takeda-kun?" Mirai asked as she still held her kunai securely in her hand.

"I'm here to tell you that you've passed the second test of the Chunin Exam," he said with a smile. "Not that I had any doubts about you three passing."

"Oh, cool!" Jizouko grinned, appearing unaware of her team mates' distrust of the green haired teen.

* * *

><p>Jizouko groaned to herself as she tried to see around her team mate standing in front of her.<p>

"Takashi! Move your fat head! I can't see!" she whined from behind him.

"Shut up and listen," he hushed her before turning back to face the front.

Jizouko's frown deepened but she remained quiet anyways.

"There's something I'd like you to know," the Hokage started with a smoldering pipe held between his teeth. "It concerns the true reason for this exam. Why do we have all the alliance countries taking the exam together? 'To promote friendship among the countries', 'To raise the level of shinobi'. I don't want you to be confused about the true meaning; this exam is a replacement for war among the allied countries."

Jizouko frowned as she shifted slightly and she tried to get a glimpse of the foreign teams.

"If you go back in time," the Hokage continued, "the current allies were enemies who fought each other over who would rule. In order to prevent wasteful fighting, the stage that these countries chose for battle, that is the origins of this Chunin Selection Exam."

"Why the Hell do we have to do that crap?" Naruto exploded from within the ranks, "Isn't this thing for deciding who's a Chunin?"

"It is a fact that this exam decided which shinobis have what it takes to become a Chunin," the Hokage confirmed, "but on the other hand, this exam has another side, where each country's shinobis risks their own life to protect their land's prestige."

"Prestige?" a female's voice echoed from the front.

"Watching this Third Exam will be leaders and influential individuals from many countries who make up the clients of the shinobi," the Hokage explained. "And the leaders of the countries will also be there to watch each of your battles. If the strength of a country is clear, that country will receive more clients. And conversely, if seen as weak, they will lose clients. And this will signal to potential enemy countries that 'our village has this much power' so it will send a political message to the outsiders."

"Yeah, but why?" a boy yelled, "Why do we have to risk our lives in battle?"

"The strength of the country is the strength of the village," the Hokage released a stream of smoke from his mouth. "The strength of the village is the strength of the shinobi. And a shinobi's true strength is born only through life-risking battle."

"This exam is a place to see each country's strength and to show off your own strength. It only has meaning because lives are at risk. And that's why those that have come before you have fought in the Chunin Exam for this dream that is meaningful."

"But then why," another girl started up, "do you say stuff about it being for 'friendship'?"

"I said it in the beginning, I don't want you to confuse the purpose of this," the Hokage sighed. "By losing life and establishing balance, this is the shape of friendship in the world of shinobi. Before we begin the third test I will tell you one more thing. This is not just a test; this is a life-risking battle with your dreams and your country's prestige on the line."

"I don't care what it is," a boy growled, "just hurry up and tell us what this life-risking battle entails."

"Yes, I'd like to now explain the third test but –" the Hokage started again, but was cut off.

"Actually," a sickly voice coughed, "I apologize, Hokage-sama." A man landed in front of the group.

"From here on, as the referee, will you please allow me, Gekkou Hayate," he said with his head bowed.

"By all means," the Hokage allowed him with a nod.

"Hello everyone, I am Hayate," the man said as he turned to the Genin. "Before the third test there's something I'd like you to do. It's a preliminary for the third test to decide who gets to participate in the main event."

"Preliminary?" Sakura's voice questioned from the back of the group.

"Preliminary? What do you mean?" another boy asked in a raised voice.

"Sensei, I don't understand this preliminary, but why aren't people here allowed to participate in the next test?" Sakura asked, turning to her instructor for help.

"Because the first and second test may have been too easy this year," Hayate explained, "we have a bit too many people remaining. According to Chunin Exam rules, we must have a preliminary and reduce the number of participants for the third test."

There was a soft gasp from the back of the group of Genin where Sakura was standing.

"As Hokage-sama indicated earlier there will be many guests at the third test," the sickly man continued, "so the fights could take too long, we are limited in time. So, anyway, those who are not feeling well, those who feel like quitting after these explanations please come forward since we will be starting the preliminary immediately."

_Good thing we got here early and were able to rest up!_ Jizouko thought as she rolled her shoulders back in circular motions. She watched interestedly as a grey haired teen walked to the front, she recognized him as the one who had thrown up at the very beginning.

"I'm going to quit," he said with a sheepish grin as he raised a hand in the air to the astonishment of some of the Genin gathered in the ranks.

"You're Yakushi Kabuto-kun from the Leaf, right?" Hayate asked as he looked over a clip board. "You may leave now. Does anyone else want to retire?" he asked the remaining Genin. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that from now on it will be individual battling. You may raise your hand based on your own judgment."

"Kabuto-san!" Naruto yelled, "Why are you quitting? Why?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Kabuto apologized as he looked back at the blonde, "but my body is all beat up. Actually, I haven't been able to hear out of my ear from the time when I got attacked by the Oto-nins before the first test. And now we'll have to risk our live… I just…"

A slight murmur went up from the instructors gathered at the front if the room assembled behind the Hokage.

"Now, there are no more retiring, right?" Hayate tried again.

There was a slight disturbance from the far side of the group but since Jizouko and her team were on the extreme opposite end of the formation she could only hear snippets of it.

"That mark still hurts, right?" Sakura questioned worriedly. "You are in no condition to fight right now! I can see it! You have been hiding the pain all this time! Why are you so stubborn?" Where ever she was going with this she didn't get to finish because she was cut off suddenly.

"You bastard! Stop acting all cool!" Naruto took up where his team mate left off, "Idiot! Sakura-chan is this worried and—" Naruto was cut off as well.

"Seems like there's trouble brewing," Mirai murmured from behind her as Anko raised her voice as well.

"Keep an eye on that Uchiha kid, he seems to be the source of it," Takashi advised the girls behind him softly, the two nodded in agreement.

"Now, let's begin the preliminary," Hayate said when no one else stepped up. "This preliminary will consist of one on one fighting. You will basically fight as if in a real life confrontation. Since we now have exactly 26 entrants, we will conduct 13 matches and the winners will advance to the third test."

"There are basically no rules," the sickly man continued, "The fight continues until one of you dies or is knocked out or admits your defeat. If you don't want to die then quickly acknowledge your defeat. But when I decided that the winner has clearly been established, since we don't want to pointlessly increase the amount of corpses, I'll jump in and stop things."

"This electronic scoreboard will show the match-ups for each battle," he said as a wooden panel opened up to reveal the screen. "Now, this is sudden but let's announce the two names of the first fight."

Everyone's heads turned upwards in anticipation as characters began scrolling across it.

"Let the games begin," Jizouko said under her breath with a smirk.


	24. Chapter 24

"The first fight is between Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi," Hayate announced as the names lit up on the screen. "Are you two ready?" The two boys nodded in confirmation.

"Now we will start the first match," the proctor coughed into his hand. "Will everyone except the two participants move to the upper level?"

The Genin began filing up the stairs in compliance to the observation deck of the arena. Jizouko leaned up against the wall on the far end while her two team mates took up similar positions beside her.

"Bad luck for him," Mirai commented as she watched the two face off in the middle of the arena.

"Which one?" Takashi asked as he kept his eyes on the combatants.

"Pick one," Mirai scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Before Takashi or Jizouko could ask what she meant their sensei made her way over to them.

"Good to see that you three passed the tests," Akane said as her emerald eyes glittered mischievously.

"You had any doubts?" Jizouko asked with a smirk. "You said it yourself; we can give them a run for their money."

Akane smiled down at her youngest student as she rested against the railing with her back to the arena. "I did say that…"

"Now, please begin," Hayate said from between Sasuke and his opponent, causing the spectators to stop talking.

"Are you ready?" Yoroi asked as he made a hand sign.

"Yeah," Sasuke grunted as he got into a fighting stance.

Jizouko watched the fight commence with mild interest but spent the majority of the time scoping out the potential competition.

"What'd you do to those guys, Ji-chan?" Takashi asked, taking no interest in the fight.

"Hm?" Jizouko hummed, ignoring the childish nickname.

Takashi motioned wordlessly towards the team directly across from them on the other side of the arena.

The team was comprised of three teenage boys, all with light brown hair and tan skin and an instructor with a similar description. All four of them were wearing an Otogakure hitai-ates tied securely on their foreheads.

"I dunno," she said softly as she met one of the boys' gazes. His eyes were a striking gold that glinted with an inner light. "I feel like I've seen them before, though…"

The boy held her locked in his intense gaze for several more seconds, and Jizouko felt something stirring in the back of her mind.

_Ji-chan,_ a soft voice rumbled through her head.

_Oh crap! What was that?_ She thought frantically as she blinked her violet eyes.

The boy's golden eyes flicked downward to the fight, and Jizouko followed his gaze to the battle that she had nearly forgot was going on.

"Sasuke-kun!" Naruto yelled down at his team mate, "Are you really Uchiha Sasuke? Is this the best you can do?"

The raven haired pre-teen looked up at the blonde for a moment before turning back to face his opponent.

"You don't have time for sightseeing!" Yoroi declared as he charged towards Sasuke with his hand coated in chakra.

Judging by the reactions of people who had been paying attention to the fight, Sasuke kicking Yoroi into the air was an unexpected turn of events, as was him joining his opponent in the air.

"It's over," he smirked as he shadowed Yoroi's flight path.

"Leaf Shadow Dance!" Yoroi recognized the technique taught in the Konoha Academy.

"Take this!" Sasuke said, intending to attack, but was stopped when his muscles visibly seized up.

Jizouko could just barely make out strange markings reaching up from beneath the high collar of his shirt and spreading slowly but surely.

"What are those?" she asked her sensei softly, knowing that the red head was watching intently as well.

Akane remained silent as her gaze switched from Sasuke to his sensei standing not far away.

Whatever the strange markings were, they began to recede until they were no longer visible to the audience, freeing up Sasuke's movements.

"Here it comes," he said before swinging his leg around to catch Yoroi in the stomach, aiming to send him down to the ground.

Yoroi blocked the kick, but before he could fully revel in his small victory Sasuke swung his body around and caught him on the chin with a closed fist, completing the mission of the first assault. Sasuke followed up his hit by slamming his still closed fist into Yoroi's stomach, knocking the breath out of the masked teen.

"There's more!" Sasuke declared before he delivered what Jizouko was assuming to be the finishing move, driving his heel into Yoroi's diaphragm.

Instead of landing on his feet after finishing his combo Sasuke tumbled along the concrete floor for a few meters before coming to a rest lying flat out on his face.

Hayate cautiously made his way over to check on Yoroi's status, as if there was any question about it.

"I'm stopping this fight here," he declared as Sasuke got into a crouching position, wiping a mixture of blood and sweat from his cheek. "The winner of the first match, Uchiha Sasuke has passed the prelims!"

Sasuke leant back from his crouch and allowed his tired body to slump. His almost fall was interrupted by his sensei appearing behind him and catching him with a shin.

Kakashi looked uninterested like always with his main focus directed towards his book that may or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

"Sasuke-kun! What a lame way to win!" Naruto jeered as he held onto the railing. "You're all beat up, idiot!"

"Uchiha Sasuke," a man dressed in medic attire called out at he approached the beat up shinobi. "Let the medical team treat your injuries now."

"You guys aren't needed," Kakashi interjected, his eyes not moving from his page. "I'll take care of him."

He knelt down and whispered something else to Sasuke, but his voice was so low that Jizouko's keen hearing couldn't pick up most of it. Something about sealing a curse mark, whatever that meant.

"We will now start the next match!" Hayate announced eager to get through all the contestants in a timely manner.

Everyone's eyes turned towards the screen mounted on the wall, equally eager to see who would be the next pair to battle. Even the injured Sasuke stayed behind to watch who would be fighting next.

Characters flashed on the screen before stopping on two names.

"The contestants in the second battle will be Moriyama Jizouko and Yamakaze Daisuke, please step into the arena," Hayate read off of the screen.

Kakashi had to practically drag his student away to get medical care when the combatants were announced.

The boy with the golden eyes began moving towards the stairs with a confident smirk on his lips; clearly he was expecting an easy fight. Jizouko would make sure that it wouldn't be so.

"Go get 'em," Akane said as she gave her youngest student an encouraging pat on the back.

"What, you're not going to wish me luck?" Jizouko asked her team mates when they remained silent.

"The Gods love fools," Mirai answered cryptically with a roll of her eyes.

"Get out there already, baka," Takashi scoffed, "you're keeping everyone waiting."

"Ha ha, you guys are so nice!" Jizouko grinned before vaulting over the railing and landing in front of her opponent.

"The second preliminary battle between Moriyama Jizouko and Yamakaze Daisuke, begin!" Hayate announced before jumping back and landing a safe distance away.

Jizouko cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck, she was going to have fun with this.


	25. Chapter 25

Wildflower: a Very Special Halloween Special

* * *

><p>"So what are you going to dress up as, Kako-chan?" Jizouko asked as she leant down to the level of the young boy she was addressing.<p>

"A monster!" the small blonde boy announced with a large grin on his face.

"Really? Did Kyo-aneki help you with your costume?"

"Yes," the blonde woman answered for her younger brother. "And I have pricked fingers to prove it!"

Jizouko laughed lightly as she sat straight up on the stool she was seated on at the island in the kitchen of the Yume house hold. She had come over because Mirai had asked for her help with something (which she still had yet to find out) and was currently teasing Kako, Mirai's younger brother.

"Mah, Kako-chan is so lazy! Making his big sister do all the work on his costume…" she trailed off with a playful grin.

"I helped!" the boy's pale face was pulled down in a frown. "Honest!"

"Yeah, you're what? Three?" Jizouko asked as she messed up his blonde locks, "Not likely."

"I'm five!" Kako corrected her with a pout.

"Whatever you say," Jizouko said as she rested her head on her hand and stared out the window over the sink.

The late October wind was playing with the brown leaves still clinging desperately to the tree branches, tugging at them until eventually they broke free from their hosts to fly away with the cool air, turning somersaults and other acrobatics along their journey.

"Hello? Earth to Jizouko!" she heard Mirai call out close to her ear as a pale hand waved in her vision.

"Hm?" Jizouko hummed as she turned to look at her blue eyed friend and blinked rapidly with a stunned expression when she saw her.

Instead of her usual dark blue shorts and white tank top Mirai was wearing a midnight blue kimono style dress that went to her knees and strappy sandals of the same color that wrapped around her calves. The only thing that hadn't changed in her attire was the many earrings that she wore in each ear, matching Jizouko's except for the gauge where she wore a small silver stud instead. Even her hair was out of its usual ponytail and fell past her shoulder blades.

"What happened to you?" Jizouko raised a brown eyebrow inquisitively.

"I have a date," Mirai answered matter of factly as she brushed a few stray golden strands out of her face. "I need you to take Kako trick or treating."

"Aww, but I was going to go to Takashi's and watch scary movies!" Jizouko whined as she let her head sink down past her shoulders.

"Oh please!" Mirai rolled her eyes at the violet eyed girl's sulking. "You'll be done before ten; you can go get the snot scared out of you then."

"Fine," Jizouko sighed in defeat. "But I'm eating some of Kako-chan's candy."

* * *

><p>"Jizou-nee," Kako whimpered as he clung to Jizouko's leg. "I'm scared."<p>

"Really?" Jizouko deadpanned as she looked down at the blonde boy.

"Come with me?" he asked, turning his head upwards to look at her.

"Really?" she deadpanned again, now looking into his fearful blue orbs. "I'll be right here; the door is like two meters away."

"But it's scary!"

Jizouko looked at the house they had stopped at. The front windows had stickers that looked like ghouls stuck to them and a plastic jack-o-lantern glowed by the front door.

"Really?" she deadpanned a third time.

"Please?" he asked, putting on his best helpless face.

"Fine!" Jizouko sighed as she took his hand and began walking towards the door. "You're not going to get much candy if you keep making this much fuss at every house we stop at…"

She pressed the door bell and waited with her arms crossed for someone to answer while Kako tried to hide behind her thin legs.

"Scaredy cat," she accused as she stuck her tongue out at the small boy.

Before he could retaliate the door opened, causing him to cower even more behind her.

"Jizouko-chan?" the girl who answered the door asked when she recognized the purple streaked brown hair that no one else possessed.

"Sakura-chan?" Jizouko asked when she recognized the pinkette's voice.

Sakura opened the door more, revealing the witch costume she had chosen for the occasion, complete with broom stick and fake wart.

"What're you doing here?" she asked politely.

Jizouko took a step to the side and revealed Kako as her answer.

"Aww, what a cute little monster!" Sakura squealed as she crouched down to the shy boy's level. "Is he your little brother?" she asked, looking up at Jizouko.

Jizouko stared at her for a long moment before shaking her head no. "I'm not related to any monsters," she explained with a blank face.

"Can I please have some candy?" Kako asked timidly as he held up his empty pillowcase.

"Of course!" Sakura grinned as she gave him a handful of sweets.

"What do you say, Kako-chan?" Jizouko prompted him and nudged him lightly.

"Thank you!" he said with a slight blush as he held his bag close to his chest.

* * *

><p><em>This kid!<em> Jizouko sighed internally as she shifted Kako's weight so she could get a better grip on his now full pillowcase.

He had insisted that she walk up to each house with him instead of waiting in the street like she had wanted to and that she carry his bag of candy when it had gotten too heavy for him to hold. Not to mention that he had also slipped into a junk food coma from eating too much candy while he was trick or treating and now she had to carry his bloated self and his surprisingly good haul of candy back to his home.

"Boo!" a "ghost" shouted as he jumped out at her from an alley way. "Ha ha, did I scare ya'?" he lifted the sheet he was using as a costume to reveal Naruto's grinning face.

"No," Jizouko said flatly.

"Aww man!" he shouted in frustration, "I'm losing my touch!"

"Keep it down, Baka," Sasuke ordered as he walked out of the same alley that Naruto had come from. "Can't you see that kid's asleep?" He was referring to Kako who was currently resting on Jizouko's hip with his head on her shoulder.

"Thank you!" she sighed as she shifted the heavy bag slung on her other shoulder.

"Is he your little brother?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side.

_Does it __**look**__ like we're related? You know what? Screw it!_

"Yes," she answered, "he's my little brother, can't you tell by the family resemblance?"

Sasuke scoffed at her answer and stuffed his hands into his pockets while Naruto struggled to grasp her subtle sarcasm.

"But… there is none…" he said finally.

"That's the point, Baka," Sasuke explained to his dense team mate.

Naruto made a face at his raven haired comrade before turning back to Jizouko. "So, are you going to the haunted house, Jizouko-chan?"

"No," she answered as she began walking again.

"Why not? Everyone's going to be there!" he gasped as he followed her.

"No, since I'm not going to be there, not everyone will be there," she said, keeping her eyes forward.

"If you don't come then I won't get out of your way!" he declared as he jumped into her path and spread his arms out wide.

Jizouko stopped and sighed in defeat. "Fine! Just let me drop this dead weight off."

"Yay!"

* * *

><p>Jizouko looked at the haunted house with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. "It doesn't look that scary," she finally decided.<p>

"Oh, don't be such a spoil sport!" Naruto laughed as he tugged on her arm, dragging her forward. "There's a prize for getting through it this year!"

"What, a better haunted house next year?" she asked as she did her best to resist his pull but failed miserably.

"No, free ramen from Ichiraku's for a month! Just imagine, all you can eat, with no charge!" he exclaimed with stars in his eyes and drool dripping down his chin.

Jizouko had to admit, that did sound tempting…

"Ah, there you are, Naruto-kun!" Sakura greeted when she recognized her orange clad team mate. "Did you bring Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah, and look who else I brought!" he said as he lifted up the arm that he had what Jizouko was sure was a death grip on.

"Jizouko-chan!" Sakura gasped in excitement. "I have to introduce you to the others!"

"Say wha?" Jizouko got out before Sakura dragged her off to a group of kids her age.

"Everyone, this is Jizouko," Sakura announced, drawing the group's attention.

"Jizouko-chan, this is Inuzuka Kiba," she pointed to a boy dressed as a werewolf with a small white dog. The boy looked at her inquisitively while the dog walked up to her and sniffed at her feet.

"Are you Inuzuka-kun?" Jizouko asked as she picked up the puppy and held it to her chest.

"No, that's Akamaru-chan," Sakura laughed, "Kiba-kun is the werewolf."

"Oh…" Jizouko said softly as she stroked Akamaru's head.

"Next is Aburame Shino," Sakura motioned towards a boy dressed as a spider who nodded in greeting. "And Hyuuga Hinata," a pale eyed girl dressed as a Geisha.

"Um… hello," she stuttered nervously, finding the ground extremely interesting.

"Nara Shikamaru," Sakura pointed out a boy dressed as a deer who yawned tiredly. "Akamichi Choji," a boy dressed as a pumpkin ate chips out of a bag by the handful. "And Ino-pig!" she motioned to a blonde girl dressed like a skeleton.

"Don't introduce me like that!" Ino demanded before turning to face Jizouko and saying in a much calmer voice, "I'm Yamanaka Ino, nice to meet you."

"Moriyama Jizouko," Jizouko said, offering a now dog scented hand for the blonde to shake.

"You seem familiar," Shikamaru said, taking a closer look at Jizouko.

"Were you in our class at the Academy?" Choji asked between mouthfuls.

"No," a new voice answered for her, "she graduated two years before you."

Jizouko turned to see a boy with long brown hair dressed like a Samurai.

"Oh, hi there, Hyuuga-kun," Jizouko grinned when she recognized the newcomer.

"Wow!" Kiba gasped in disbelief. "But you can't be much older than us!"

"Ha ha, it's kind of a long story…" Jizouko trailed off as she put Akamaru back on the ground.

"Y-you m-must be v-very t-t-talented…" Hinata complimented as she poked her fingers together.

"Not really," Jizouko denied, "I just entered early."

"But still," Sakura said with a frown, "you must have been gifted to enter the Academy early."

"Yes, Jizouko-chan is extremely youthful!" a new, passionate voice joined the conversation.

"Uh, Lee-kun?" Sakura started cautiously, "What are you dressed as?"

"I'm Gai-sensei!" Lee declared as he struck a pose, "The most youthful Jounin in all of Konoha!"

"In that case everyday must be Halloween for him," Jizouko said softly so Lee couldn't hear, causing the group to erupt in giggles.

"How do you know each other?" Sakura asked curiously as she looked between Jizouko and the older Genin.

"Uh…" Jizouko wasn't sure how to explain their relationship. "Look! They're letting people in to the haunted house! We should get in line."

The group made their way to the entrance of the spooky attraction, and was joined by Naruto, Sasuke and Neji and Lee's female team mate, Ten Ten.

"We will start letting people go in groups of two, find a partner and line up at the starting line," a man said over a P.A. system and the crowd began to buzz with people looking for a partner to go with.

Jizouko was jostled around as people gabbed for their friends and was finally pulled out of the fray by a concerned hand.

"You should be more careful, Jizouko-chan," Junnosuke sighed when he had gotten her out of the mob.

"Ah, Junnosuke-kun! Do you want to be my partner?" Jizouko asked the green haired teen hopefully.

"Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile, "I can't. I'm supposed to be scaring you, not helping." He held up a grotesque mask to prove his point.

"Aww," Jizouko groaned, "that sounds like fun! I wish I could do that…"

"Well…" Junnosuke started but was cut off by Sasuke's monotonous voice.

"Jizouko," the raven haired boy called out. "Come on, we're partners."

"Ah, okay," she said, turning to leave. "Good luck, Junnosuke-kun!"

Behind her back Junnosuke shot Sasuke a dark look that the Genin countered with a raised eyebrow before turning around and walking with Jizouko to the entrance.

Somehow the teams ended up like so, Sakura with Ino, Neji with Ten Ten, Naruto with Lee, Kiba with Hinata, Shikamaru with Choji, and Shino opted to not participate.

"We shall win with the power of youth!" Lee declared with a fire in his eyes.

"For the ramen!" Naruto shouted before he and Lee ran through the front door of the haunted house.

The rest of the pairs entered with much less shouting until it was just Jizouko and Sasuke left outside from their original group.

"I guess we should go in…" Jizouko suggested, not sure how to talk to her partner.

Sasuke grunted in agreement and took the lead, not asking Jizouko if she was ready or not.

Little did they know, Junnosuke was watching them - well, mostly Sasuke - with a frown on his face. He put on his mask and was transformed from Takeda Junnosuke to a very realistic zombie and followed the unsuspecting pair into the house.

* * *

><p>"Mah, is this stuff supposed to be scary?" Jizouko asked as she batted at a fake spider that hung from the creaking ceiling by a string. "It's kinda tacky…"<p>

From not far down the hall behind them a girlish scream echoed off the walls.

"Someone thought it was," Sasuke pointed out boredly, he was about as spooked as his partner.

Jizouko laughed as she continued down the hall, high fiving a ghoul cut out that sprung out from around a corner. "Maybe it gets better…"

* * *

><p>Junnosuke growled in annoyance, that last couple he had snuck up on wasn't Jizouko and that kid who had interrupted them. He would teach that little brat not to snatch her away again…<p>

* * *

><p>"How did you get down there?" Jizouko asked as she lay on her stomach at the edge of a trapdoor in the floor.<p>

"Help me out of here," Sasuke ordered as he glared up at her.

"I dunno, I might leave you there until you learn some manners," she laughed as she rolled onto her back and allowed her head to dangle over the edge upside down.

Someone came running down the hall and tripped over Jizouko, causing both of them to tumble into the pit, joining Sasuke at the bottom in a heap.

"Oww…" Jizouko groaned, thankfully something soft broke her fall.

"Sorry," the person on top apologized as he got off, "I didn't see you there…"

"Inuzuka-kun?" Jizouko asked as she got to her feet, helping Sasuke up as well.

"Jizouko-chan? What were you doing on the floor?" he asked as he squinted in the dim light.

"Uh… Would you believe I lost a contact?" she tried out the excuse hesitantly.

"K-kiba-kun?" Hinata's soft voice came from the top. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Jizouko-chan and Sasuke-kun are down here too, can you help us out?" he shouted up to his partner.

"Okay," Hinata said before going away to find something to pull them out with.

"So, uh… Inuzuka-kun," Jizouko started haltingly, not sure how to phrase her question. "Was that scream earlier you or Hyuuga-chan?"

Kiba's blush was practically iridescent in the low light.

_Busted!_ Jizouko grinned at his silence.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata called from the top, she had returned. "G-grab it!"

Kiba grabbed the rope that Hinata lowered down and began climbing. When he got to the top Jizouko went to grab it next, but he began pulling the rope up after him, leaving her and Sasuke stranded at the bottom.

"Hey!" she called after him, "Lower the rope!"

There was no reply; Jizouko guessed that he and Hinata had gone on down the hall.

"Great," Jizouko sighed as she rested her head against a side of the pit.

* * *

><p>"Do you know what I just realized?" Jizouko asked as she lifted her head that had been resting on her knees.<p>

There was no reply from Sasuke, so she continued with her thought.

"We can channel our chakra to the bottoms of our feet and just walk up the side."

"Took you long enough to figure it out…" Sasuke's voice trailed off from above her, signaling that he had thought of the same thing earlier and followed through with it without telling her.

"Thanks for telling me…" Jizouko muttered as she began walking up the side of the pit.

"Let's get out of here," Sasuke suggested as he began walking down the hall, not waiting to see if Jizouko was following him.

* * *

><p>"Man, it took you guys long enough," Naruto laughed when the two exited the haunted house. "What were you doing?"<p>

Sasuke grunted and brushed past the noisy blonde without comment.

"He fell into a trap and spent most of the time trying to get out," Jizouko explained in a hushed voice when he was far enough away.

Naruto burst into obnoxious laughter at this; it was just too good to be true.

"Did you have fun, Jizouko-chan?" Junnosuke's voice came from behind her.

"The decorations weren't that great," she shrugged as she turned around to face the brown eyed teen. "But I heard that the monsters were amazing."

"Ha ha, I heard that too," Junnosuke laughed with a slight blush at the compliment.

"Who's this?" Naruto demanded, joining in the conversation

"Ah, Junnosuke-kun, this is—" Jizouko started to introduce the two but Junnosuke cut her off.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Junnosuke said coldly before addressing Jizouko. "I think I should take you home before he gets you into any trouble. What would Moriyama-san say if he found out you associated with this… boy?"

"Excuse me?" Jizouko asked, stunned by the personality change. "I have no problem getting into trouble on my own and Take-nii knows that we're friends, besides, what would your parents say if they knew that you talk to me whenever you can find an excuse?"

A tense hush fell between the two while Naruto looked at Jizouko with a new found respect, no one had ever stood up for him like that before.

"Thought so," Jizouko scoffed as she turned around to leave. "Come on Naruto-kun, let's go see if Ichiraku's is open."

* * *

><p>"Sorry about Junnosuke-kun," Jizouko sighed as walked with Naruto to Takashi's where she was spending the night.<p>

"It's okay, I'm used to it by now," Naruto waved it off.

Jizouko turned her head to look at the blonde boy, was that a hint of sorrow she heard in his voice?

"You shouldn't be," she said softly as Takashi's house came into view. "I had fun tonight, all things considered… You should pressure me into doing things more often!" she laughed when they got to the front door.

"Okay!" Naruto grinned as she walked into the house.


	26. Chapter 26

Jizouko sized up her opponent as her hand shot into her weapons pouch and selected a few senbon, it didn't look like he'd be very light on his feet so the thin needles should do the job.

Daisuke barely dodged in time, earning a scratch on his cheek as he move out of the way as he threw a fistful of shiruken at her.

She caught them easily and threw them back at their original owner and followed them with a kunai knife of her own that dug into the wall not far from Daisuke's head.

Judging from the golden eyed boy's expression he was not expecting her to come out swinging into the fight. Jizouko smirked as she charged forward with a fist drawn back; this would take no time at all.

* * *

><p>"Wow," Sakura gasped as she watched the fight below. "I had no idea that Jizouko-chan was so good!"<p>

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed with a nod, "It's like she's a different person."

"It is to be expected of someone like her," Lee shrugged his green clad shoulders slightly.

"What do you mean, Lee-kun?" Sakura asked, leaning forward so she could see him better.

"Yeah, bushy-brows, what're you talking about?" Naruto chimed in as he turned his squinty eyes on the black haired teen.

"Jizouko-chan is thought to be one of the fastest rising stars of the shinobi world," Lee blinked at the two. "How could you not know that? Did she not train with your team for a while?" he asked in confusion.

Sakura's eyes turned back to the familiar striped head of hair bobbing around the arena as she traded blows with her brown haired opponent.

"Yeah, but she was never like this…" Sakura trailed off, referring to the aura that radiated from the violet eyed girl.

"She entered the Ninja Academy at age five, two years before others her age," the cold voice of Lee's male team mate cut in to the conversation.

"An entire year before you," Sakura quietly finished the train of thought.

"Yes," the pale eyes boy closed his eyes as he nodded in confirmation.

"She was barred from entering the Chunin exam last year and the year before because she was believed to be too young," the black haired Jounin joined in.

Throughout the exchange Naruto had stayed uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes trained on Jizouko's moving figure. This test kept revealing more and more interesting opponents for him.

* * *

><p>Jizouko leaned back until her spine curved into a bridge to dodge Daisuke's punch. The second her hands touched the ground she brought her feet up into a handstand, catching him on the chin along the way.<p>

Daisuke stumbled back a meter or so stunned from the attack. Jizouko brought her feet back to the ground in an arc so she was in a crouching position from which she pushed off of the ground and drove her shoulder into Daisuke's diaphragm, sending him skidding until his back hit the far wall and the air rushed from his lungs.

"You're good," he gasped as he used the wall to remain on his feet.

"Only when compared to some," Jizouko said as she got into a fighting stance, expecting him to continue their battle.

"I know when I've met my match," Daisuke claimed as his eyes searched for the proctor. "I concede this battle to you, Moriyama-san. You're much more skilled than I am."

Jizouko looked deep into his golden hues for a moment before she relaxed from her stance.

"The second match goes to Moriyama Jizouko," Hayate declared after a pause. "Please speak to the medic nins about your wounds."

Jizouko allowed herself to be escorted to the medical bay by a man dressed in white with a large red cross on his chest.

* * *

><p>"Moriyama-san," the medic who had been attending to Jizouko's wounds sounded slightly annoyed as she turned her head to look at him.<p>

"Hm?" she hummed in acknowledgement.

"I've only been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes," he sighed with a shake of his head. "You're free to go, just be sure to not put too much stress on your muscles, they need time to heal," he instructed as he looked over a clip board before moving on to another task.

Jizouko stayed seated on the examination table for a moment longer before jumping off and pulling back the curtain that separated her from the rest of the room.

"If I may," Daisuke's voice sounded from nearby, "you seem very distracted, Moriyama-san."

Jizouko turned to look at the teen that was addressing her and gave him a crooked smile. "I'm just not used to people calling me 'Moriyama-san'," she explained as she moved closer to him. "I'll get over it."

"Perhaps I can make it easier on you," he suggested with a kind smile, "what would you rather be called?"

"Just Jizouko is fine," she said as she picked at a snowy white bandage wrapped around her forearm.

"That is a very strange name, Jizouko-chan," Daisuke mused aloud with a thoughtful look.

"It's not like I got to choose it," Jizouko said with a frown, "it was given to me one day and it stuck."

"But still, it's not every day that one meets a girl named for Jizou-sama…" he trailed off as if it was some great mystery.

"Well, if you knew the whole story then it wouldn't be so weird," she reasoned with a smile as she leaned against the examination table Daisuke was seated on.

"Would you mind telling me? I don't believe I'll be leaving here for quite a while and I do enjoy a good story," Daisuke prompted as he looked down at her tanned face.

"Maybe another time," Jizouko denied as she pushed off of the table and began to make her way back to the arena.

"Until then." She heard Daisuke say softly before a medic came by and drew a curtain around him.


	27. Chapter 27

When Jizouko reentered the arena she passed by a stretcher carrying a boy wearing an Otogakure hitai-ate.

_Looks like that hurt_; she thought when she noticed the severed arm laying on his chest.

"You went easy on him," Akane accused when she had mounted the steps and rejoined her team.

"Don't want to reveal all my secrets," Jizouko countered as she watched characters scroll across the display screen.

**Tsurugi Misumi Vs Kankuro** it read in digital letters.

"We will now begin the third match," Hayate announced in his sickly voice.

Two shinobi descended the stairs into the main part of the arena. One wore a Konoha hitai-ate and glasses with no visible features and the other bore the mark of Sunagakure on a black hood with intricate designs colored on his face.

"Unlike Yoroi, even against little punks, I show no mercy," the combatant wearing a black cloth over his face, effectively veiling his features from view. "I'll say it now, if I put my techniques on you it's over. Give up immediately, I'm going to end this quickly."

"Then I also will end this quickly," the other participant said as he removed what looked like a mummy from his back, a confident smirk on his painted face.

"I won't give you a chance to do anything!" the veiled boy declared as he jumped into the air and sent a blow at his painted opponent.

The Sunagakure-nin caught his opponent's arm, only to have it bend unnaturally and twist around his forearm.

"What?" he gasped as he watched his opponent's body wrap around his own.

The bandaged package fell to the ground with a thunk when its owner was fully entangled by his opponent's rubber-like limbs.

"In order to gather information, my body has been altered to fit into any space, the Konoha shinobi explained. "So I can keep squeezing until I break your bones. If you don't give up I'll keep squeezing harder. I don't know what kind of ninja tools you use, but you can't do anything like this. But try something funny and I won't wait until you give up, I'll break your neck immediately. Hurry up and give up."

"Heh, no way," the hooded boy chuckled defiantly.

"Do you want to die?"the bespectacled combatants hissed as he tightened his grip.

"You're the one who's gonna die," the painted Suna-nin grinned.

_You sure about that one?_ Jizouko quipped in her mind as she arched an eyebrow at the situation.

Every Genin in the room winced when they heard the sickening snap of the hooded boy's neck under the pressure of his opponent's grip.

"That's harsh," Takashi said as he winced at the sight of the boy's limp body slump towards the ground.

"You made me kill you," the Konoha-nin declared as he began to unwind his body from around the now dead combatant.

"Then is it my turn now?" the body asked as its head turned a full 180 degrees.

"What?" the shinobi gasped as his eyes widened considerably behind his glasses.

The clothing covering the body tore to reveal two sets of arms that wrapped around his body in a death grip.

"A puppet?" Jizouko asked when the paint chipped from the body's face to reveal a grinning wooden visage.

The bandaged bundle lying on the ground began to stir and the wrappings fell away to reveal the real Suna-nin with chakra strings connecting his fingers to the puppet.

"If I break your bones you'll be even softer right?" the puppeteer asked with a smirk as he clenched his hands into fists, causing the puppet to tighten its grip on his opponent. "I won't break your neck though."

"The battle cannot be continued," Hayate declared, stepping in and breaking up the fight. "The winner is Kankuro!"

"I've never seen a puppet master before," Takashi admitted as he watched the victor walk back up the stairs.

"It's a hard skill to master," Akane explained, "so it's rare to even hear about one."

"We will now start the fourth match," Hayate announced as the screen lit up once again.

The scrambler finally settled on two names, Yume Mirai and Akazaki Takashi.


	28. Chapter 28

Jizouko watched silently as her two team mates made their way to the center of the arena stiffly. She clenched her muscles for fear that if she didn't, she would try to stop the fight.

"Don't worry," Akane placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Mirai-chan won't let it get out of hand."

"Yeah," Jizouko said softly, her eyes trained on the two combatants. "But still…"

"The fourth match of the Preliminary Battles has now begun!" Hayate declared before jumping back so he could see the entire battle field.

"Don't think for a second that I'll go easy on you," Takashi smirked as he got into a fighting stance.

"Same to you, Takashi-kun," Mirai smiled sweetly as she folded her hands behind her back.

The brown haired teen took advantage of her relaxed posture and charged with kunai drawn. She didn't make a move to dodge the knife when he slashed at her, just smiled even wider before her body dissolved when he made contact.

Takashi looked stunned for a moment before turning to where he sensed her presence.

"Honestly," she sighed in disappointment, "after all this time you'd think that you would've figure out what my specialty is…"

He growled - angry at himself for forgetting that little fun fact - before charging at her again.

Mirai clicked her tongue as she disappeared once again; three of her appeared and began to surround her male team mate.

* * *

><p>"Who'd have guessed that those two would be facing each other?" Lee's black haired sensei asked as he watched the two trade blows.<p>

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded in agreement, "they're possibly the worst matched battle so far…"

"What're you talking about, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as she turned her head away from the action.

"Well, Sakura-chan," the Jounin started, unsure of how to explain. "Both the Yume and Akazaki clans are small, but famous in their own rights. The Yumes are some of the best illusionists around and the Akazakis have no equal when it comes to ninja tools. But those two are too young to have gone through their clan's training." _That and their clan masters haven't been heard from for six years…_

"So not only is Jizouko-chan really strong, her team mates are too," Sakura gathered as she turned back to the fight.

* * *

><p>"That was a low blow," Takashi panted as he released the latest genjutsu Mirai had cast on him.<p>

"No rules, Takashi-kun," Mirai countered. She winced slightly as one of the cuts she had received began to sting. "What was on that knife?" she demanded, she had received that particular cut neat the beginning of the fight and it hadn't hurt nearly as much then.

"No rules, Mirai-chan," he mimicked back in a horrible high pitched voice. "You have maybe two minutes left," he informed with a cocky smirk.

"Then I guess I'll have to make those minutes count," Mirai smirked back as she charged forward with a kunai drawn.

* * *

><p>"Those two sure have come far," Akane mused as she watched her two older students beat each other up.<p>

"You're trying to distract me sensei," Jizouko muttered as she watched the fight intently. "Please don't."

"Your face will stick like that if you make that expression for too long," the red head teased, referring to the scowl that had been on Jizouko's face since the match started. "Just think of how that poor Takeda kid would feel if that happened."

"It would never work between us," the purple eyed girl shot down the idea immediately. "His parents hate me." If possible, her face fell even more at this.

"They'll come to their senses eventually," Akane assured the Genin. "But look on the bright side; I distracted you from your two best friends fighting possibly to the death for a few moments!"

Jizouko turned her head and made a face at her instructor before turning back to the fight.

* * *

><p>Both Mirai and Takashi were breathing heavily as they faced each other in the center of the arena.<p>

"So it's come down to this," Mirai panted, she had depleted her chakra supply and only had enough for one last illusion.

"Yeah," Takashi agreed as he pulled out his last kunai from his pouch.

In the blink of an eye Mirai started forming a series of complex hand signs while Takashi charged at her for one last time.

When Takashi landed on the other side blood splattered to the cement from a new gash in Mirai's side.

"The winner is Akazaki Takashi," Hayate declared as the green eyed boy stood from his crouching position.

Takashi swayed on his feet for a moment before he started to fall to the ground in exhaustion. Before he actually hit the ground Jizouko caught him and let him lean on her shoulder.

"Gods, you're so heavy!" Jizouko grunted under his added weight.

"You're just weak, Ji-chan," Takashi smiled weakly as he tried to catch his breath.

She scoffed as she let one of the medics take his weight off of her and lay him on a stretcher.

_You're just a big idiot_, Jizouko rolled her eyes as she followed the stretchers carrying her team mates out of the arena.


	29. Chapter 29

Takashi groaned in protest as he felt himself waking up, he was having a really good dream! He sighed as he stared up at the ceiling in a mild form of acceptance before turning his head to look at the other person in the room.

He rolled his eyes when he saw Jizouko dozing off in a hardwood chair. _Idiot probably didn't even stay to watch the rest of the matches!_

He almost didn't have the heart to wake her up, she looked so peaceful. Almost. A glass of water placed on a small table not far away caught his attention and a devious plan began to form in his mind.

He sat up quietly and reached slowly for the glass, pausing for a moment when she stirred in her sleep. Right before he completed his self-assigned task of waking her up with water to the face the door opened, jolting her awake. Takashi quickly brought the glass to his lips and took a drink to dispel any notions Jizouko might have as she looked around the room frantically.

"What's going on?" she demanded with an almost wild look in her purple eyes.

"Well, it looked like Takashi-chan was about to wake you up in a rather rude way," Akane informed as she walked through the open door. "But looks _can_ be deceiving…"

"Yes, they can," Takashi agreed with the red head as he placed the now empty glass back on the table.

"Ha ha, he wouldn't do that," Jizouko laughed the accusation off; "he knows I'd find a way to pay him back."

"I have no doubts about that," the green eyed Jounin agreed softly before continuing. "I hope you got a good rest, because training officially starts now!"

"Training for what?" Jizouko asked cautiously, she didn't trust the light in her instructor's eyes.

"The last phase of the Chunin Exams of course!" a new voice announced as a brown haired man walked into the room and stood next to Akane. "You both passed the prelims and now you have a month until the big tournament. You better learn some new tricks."

"Aniki?" Takashi gaped at the new comer. "I thought you were on non-stop missions until the winter!"

"I got some time off to train you." The man looked like an older version of Takashi, tall with green eyes and brown hair that fell in soft spikes.

"I'm going to be training Jizouko-chan and Ichiro-kun will be looking after you, Takashi-chan," Akane explained before turning to leave the room, signaling for Jizouko to follow her.

"Nice to see you haven't worked yourself to death, Ichiro-nii," Jizouko smiled as she followed her sensei out of the room.

"Nice to see you haven't gotten lost in the woods, Ji-chan," Ichiro shot back with a slight smirk.

* * *

><p>"Are we not going to check in on Mirai-chan, sensei?" Jizouko asked as they walked down the hallway of the medical center.<p>

"No," Akane said as she kept up her quick pace. "That would cut into your training time."

"But…" Jizouko began to protest but stopped when Akane fixed her with a sharp look.

"Your opponent is no pushover," the red head said in an even voice, "he took down his own team mate in less than a minute, and I can guarantee you that he isn't visiting anyone who lost their fight."

Jizouko thought about this for a moment before she picked up her pace. "We better start training soon then."

* * *

><p>Mirai stared down at her open hands resting in her lap; her blonde hair formed a curtain separating her blank face from prying eyes. She'd lost her fight…<p>

She clenched her hands into fists as she bit her lip. She would make sure that the next time would be different.

She tilted her head upwards when she heard the door open softly to see a blonde woman in her forties step over the threshold.

"You," Mirai whispered as her dull eyes lit up with recognition. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you train, musume-chan," the woman said, taking no note of the accusatory tone Mirai used.

"Don't call me that!" Mirai ordered as she grasped the bed sheets in her pale fists. "Get out! You lost the right to call me that when you left us!"

The blonde woman remained silent for a moment before walking back out of the room. When the door clicked shut Mirai had to hold back chocked sobs. She thought she had killed the emotions the thought of her mother stirred up, apparently she was wrong.

* * *

><p>"What're we doing out here, sensei?" Jizouko asked as she looked around the clearing her teacher had brought her to.<p>

It was mostly bare earth with a few boulders scattered around, encircled sparsely by scraggly trees.

"This terrain is best suited for your chakra types," Akane explained as she spared a glance at their surroundings.

"And what're my chakra types, again? And how do you know if I don't even know?" Jizouko frowned.

"Wind and fire," the red head sighed at her student. "And I know because it's the reason why you entered the academy so early."

"Say what?" Jizouko drew out the last syllable. "I thought it was because I was so awesome…"

"Ha! No," Akane shot down her student. "Think back to before you entered the academy."

Jizouko rolled her gold flecked eyes at the request but complied anyway.

"_Now tell me, Jizouko, what happened?" a fatherly man asked as he crouched down so he could meet her purple eyes with his green ones._

_A five-year-old Jizouko pantomimed ripping and then an explosion, making sound effects to go with them._

"_You know that's not really telling me anything…" the man sighed at her silence._

_She shrugged her shoulders and gave her best smile in an attempt to escape trouble._

"_So you expect me to believe that the entire stack of paper just ripped and caught on fire?" the man interpreted her motions._

_Jizouko nodded fervently. "Honest!" she shouted._

"_Okay, Jizouko. I believe you," the man said as he stood up straight._

"Does it have anything to do with that stack of papers?" Jizouko asked after a pause.

"It has everything to do with that stack of papers," Akane confirmed with a nod. "Now, are you finished asking questions?" Jizouko nodded. "Then let's get started with your training."


	30. Chapter 30

"That's enough for today," Akane said as she surveyed the damage that Jizouko had made on their training field. Boulders and tree trunks were scorched and deep gashed had been cut into every surface.

"I'm not tired," Jizouko panted as she swayed on her feet, obviously lying.

"Hn, try telling that to your body," the red head rolled her eyes. "Besides, even though I'm training you I still need to check in on my other two students."

It had been two weeks since Jizouko had started her preparations for the final part of the Chunin Exam, leaving two weeks left for her to complete her training.

"Hurry back," Jizouko said after a while as her sensei turned to leave.

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to fall below the horizon and Jizouko was still practicing her jutsu in the same field. She finally collapsed on the ground having spent all of her chakra. She was so tired that she almost didn't notice the presence drawing nearer to her location until it was right next to her.<p>

"Wow Jizouko-chan." She turned her head to look up at Junnosuke's voice. "I knew you over did it when it comes to training, but wow," he said as he surveyed to blackened scenery.

"Oh hi Junnosuke-kun," she panted tiredly as she grinned up at him. "What's up?"

"Well, since no one's seen you in the past few weeks, I wanted to make sure that you were eating, so I made you a bento," the green haired teen said as he held up a wrapped box.

Jizouko gasped in excitement as she reached out her tanned hands to receive the gift. "I knew there was a reason why I liked you!"

Junnosuke laughed with a slight blush on his cheeks, "I'm sure there're other reasons…"

_Definitely __**not**__ your parents…_ Jizouko thought as she untied the handkerchief wrapped around the bento box. "Yeah, totally," she said as she removed the lid, "I just can't think of any right now."

"I'm afraid I have to be going now," the brown eye teen said as he glanced up at the darkening sky. "I told Kaa-san I was taking a walk…"

When Jizouko remained silent Junnosuke turned to leave the clearing. She stayed seated on the ground for a long moment before replacing the lid on the bento and putting it to the side. No sooner had her green haired visitor left another one arrived.

"Shouldn't you be helping your team mate prepare for the exams?" she asked without turning around.

"He won't accept my advice." It was Daisuke who had come to see her. "So I was wondering if you would take it."

* * *

><p>Junnosuke sighed heavily as he made his way back to his home from the outskirts of the village where Jizouko was. He had definitely blown it by mentioning his mother… Was it sad that he was a Chunin and was still more afraid of her than any enemy he could ever face? He was going to go with yes, yes it was.<p>

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hardly noticed when one of the long shadows cast by the trees began to follow him, but he definitely noticed the point digging into his back.

"I find it very hard to believe that someone like you made Chunin." He recognized Takashi's voice growling into his ear. "They must be lowering their standards."

"What do you want, Akazaki-kun?" Junnosuke asked, trying his best to sound calm despite his pounding heart.

"Grow up," Takashi ordered, "we both know that your little Academy crush isn't going to work out so stop fooling yourself and leave her alone."

"You really care about her that much?" the green haired teen asked after a tense pause.

"More than you could ever know."

The point was removed from Junnosuke's back and Takashi's presence disappeared.

* * *

><p>"So he's not even training?" Jizouko gaped at the information Daisuke had just given her.<p>

"Yes, he believes that he's invincible," Daisuke said as he stared into the small fire he had started.

"Well this will probably be the shortest fight in the history of the Chunin Exam…" she trailed off as she too peered into the fire.

The brown haired teen nodded in agreement before changing the subject. "Will you tell me now?" he asked, looking from the fire to Jizouko's tanned face.

"Tell you what?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"The story of your name," he clarified, "you said you would tell me later, and it is later…"

"Oh! Sure," Jizouko laughed as she rocked back with her knees pulled to her chest. "It's not a very interesting story, though."

"It's not like there's much else to do, it's too dark now," Daisuke shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Well, my real name isn't Jizouko," she started as she looked back into the fire, "but I don't know what my real name is so it's not like that matters much…" A small frown marred her features as she continued. "I was found wandering around when I was little, maybe three or four, and since Jizou-sama is the patron of lost children the people who found me thought Jizouko would be appropriate for me."

"Told you it wasn't interesting," she said with a grin when Daisuke remained silent after she had finished.


	31. Chapter 31

"Wow Ji-chan," Takashi blinked, "you actually look like a girl for once…"

Jizouko tried her best not to slam the door she had just opened in the brown haired teen's face at his comment. "Thank you for your kind words, Taka-kun," she grated out through her clenched jaw.

She was dressed in a purple kimono with a golden dragon stitched into the fabric wrapping around her thin frame, a far cry from her usual "borrowed" clothes.

"Where's Mirai-chan?" Takashi asked, trying to peek into the apartment over Jizouko. He was having a bit of trouble because of her recent growth spurts added with her getas that made her at least four centimeters taller than usual.

"I'm here," Mirai called out as she came into his line of sight. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a bun with a blue decorative pin placed in it. Both she and Jizouko had traded out their usual silver earrings for gold ones, and she wore a dark blue kimono with golden petals.

For some reason Takashi found it very hard to think straight when he saw her, and was thankful when Jizouko pushed him out of the doorway so the two girls could exit.

_What is wrong with me?_ He wondered as he trailed behind the two on their way to the festival.

* * *

><p>Jizouko laughed loudly as she walked arm and arm with Mirai through the festival. It had been a month since she had last seen her best friend, four whole weeks, nearly 31 days!<p>

"I wish Akane-sensei would have let you train with me," she confided in her blonde friend. "It was so boring all by myself!"

"Really? But I heard that Takeda-kun went to visit you," Mirai said with a sly grin. "I bet that made things more fun."

"Once," Jizouko scoffed as she rolled her purple eyes. "I think something scared him off after that." She sent a pointed look at Takashi who feigned innocent as he took a bite out of a shish-ka-bob.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he claimed with a full mouth. "I was training the entire time."

"Oh, what a load of bull – " Jizouko was cut off by a nearby vendor.

"Care to hear your future, child?" The trio turned to see the slightly wrinkled face of a middle-aged blonde woman. "Or perhaps it's the past you'd like to hear?" the woman asked, zeroing in on Jizouko.

"Come on, Ji-chan," Mirai said, tugging on her friend's arm. "It's probably just a scam."

"A scam? Oh no," the woman chuckled, turning her gaze to Mirai now. "It's the specialty of my clan to divine the past, future, and present. What about you, m'boy?" she asked, looking Takashi straight in his green eyes. "Aren't you curious about your fight tomorrow?"

"Nope," Takashi said as he slid the last morsel off of his skewer. "I already know exactly how it's going to turn out," he smirked as he threw the skewer over his shoulder and into a trash bin.

* * *

><p>"This sure is a switch," Jizouko grinned as she kicked off her wooden sandals. "Usually it's me that's staying with you."<p>

Mirai laughed tiredly as she sat down on the couch in her friend's living room. "Well, my feet were tired and my house is really far," she said, sliding her own sandals off. _And my abandoning mother is staying there…_

The blonde teen sighed as she lounged on the couch, reflecting on what had happened at the festival. She had not expected her mother to be there, and what was with that ridiculous claim she'd made? Her clan didn't have a kekkei genkai, did they?

"Hey, Earth to Mi-chan," she heard Jizouko call out in a sing-song voice. "Did you hear me? The shower's open."

"Oh, thanks," Mirai blinked out of her musings. "You should get some rest; you have a big day tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Wow," Jizouko gasped as she looked up at the stands surrounding the arena. "There sure are a lot of people here…" She trailed off as she glanced at the other competitors lined up next to her. She was on the far right of the line and to her left was Takashi followed by that Aburame boy, then a bored looking boy, then Naruto next to the proctor for the exam, Hyuuga Neji – who she remembered from her days at the Academy - , and the three Genin from Sunagakure and two Oto-nin.<p>

When her eyes fell on the last member of the line, the brown haired Oto-nin sent her a glare with his golden eyes, causing her to lean back until she was made invisible by the other members of the line.

"We're missing one," Takashi said in a low voice to Jizouko. "Where's that Uchiha kid?"

"Hey, stop looking around," the blonde proctor ordered, turning his head slightly over his shoulder. "Face the customers. In this main tournament, you guys are the stars."

Jizouko shifted uneasily under the gaze of so many spectators. If she had known there were going to be so many people she would've worn something different…

_Oh Gods, I've turned into Kyoko!_ She panicked at her previous thought. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her baggy black cargo pants, thick black canvas belt, matching black ninja sandals, and white tank top that stopped at the end of her rib cage… Right?

"Thanks everyone for coming to the Konohagakure Chunin Selection Exam," the Hokage's voice boomed from his box seat, snapping Jizouko from her thoughts. "We will now start the main tournament matches between the twelve participants who made it through the preliminaries. Please stay and watch until the end!"

"To refresh your memories I have the battles written out," the proctor said as he fished a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Check once again to see who you're fighting."

Jizouko scanned the paper and saw that she had the last fight against someone named Yamakaze Toshiro right after Takashi's fight with someone named Dosu. She guessed that both of those Genin were from Otogakure.

"Hey! Hey!" Naruto said as he raised his hand in the air. "Sasuke-kun isn't here yet, what're you gonna do?

"If he doesn't appear by the time of his match, he will receive a default loss," the proctor explained.

_He better get here fast,_ Jizouko thought as she found his name on the paper, _his fight is second._

"Alright guys, this is the final test," the proctor said, "the arena is different but the rules are the same as in the prelims, there are none. You fight until one of you dies of acknowledges defeat, but if I determine that the fight is over I'll step in and stop it, you got that?"

All of the contestants gave curt nods in acknowledgement.

"Now the first fight id Uzumaki Naruto versus Hyuuga Neji. Those two stay here while the rest of you go to the waiting room."


	32. Chapter 32

Jizouko sat at the back of the waiting room with her back against the wall. She knew that she should be watching the fights, but she just couldn't bring herself to.

Neji would most likely use his signature Gentle Fist Technique and she would bet anything that Naruto would use shadow clones. Since her fight was scheduled for last she would have plenty of time to devise a plan to counter either of those techniques depending on who won the fight. The only opponent that she was truly worried about facing was Takashi. If she was going to fight him she'd have to rely entirely on the new jutsu that she's learned over the past month.

She closed her eyes and rested her head against the stone wall; it wouldn't hurt to close her eyes for a moment, would it?

* * *

><p>"Hey, Jizouko-chan! Wake up!" Naruto's loud voice jolted Jizouko awake.<p>

She jumped in her seat at the sound. "What is your problem?" she hissed as she adjusted the cloth covering her forearms, replacing the small blade she had slipped out from beneath the fabric without him noticing.

"Told you that was a bad idea, baka," another Konoha Genin sighed as he shook his head.

"Did you seriously fall asleep during my fight?" the blonde blinked, ignoring her reaction.

"No," Jizouko denied as she got up from the ground. "Why would you think that?"

"Come on, Sasuke-kun's fight is next!" the blonde shouted as he grabbed her arm and drug her over to the railing with the rest of the competitors.

"What the heck is that guy doing?" the brown haired Genin frowned as he leaned over the railing next to them. "Is he planning not to come?"

"Confucius said 'The wise do not approach the dangerous'," the Aburame boy chimed in. "A wise decision perhaps?"

"What're you talking about?" Jizouko scoffed as she rested her elbows on the railing. "He'll be here."

She knew this for certain. The only thing that could keep someone like him from this would be death, and she was speculative about that.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the proctor shouted over the sound of the anxious crowd. "The contestant for the next match hasn't arrived yet! Therefore we will push this match back and begin the next one!"

Jizouko grinned widely at the announcement, her fight was drawing closer!

"Hey, this means my match just got one closer!" the brunette Genin shouted as he gripped the railing tighter.

"And now the next match! Kankuro and Aburame Shino! Come down!"

"I forfeit!" the Genin that Jizouko assumed to be Kankuro declared.

_Why would he do something like that?_ Jizouko thought as she eyed the boy suspiciously.

The blonde girl next to him opened up the fan she had on her back with a flourish before using it to float down to the arena.

"Looks like you're eager," the proctor smirked. "Shikamaru, get down here!"

"Alright! Go for it, Shikamaru-kun!" Naruto cheered as he pushed the panicking Genin over the railing.

Everyone in the stands winced when his back hit the packed dirt.

"Hey! Hurry up and fight!" one of the spectators shouted. "Yeah! Hurry up and finish this crappy match!" another agreed with the first. "Get up kid! How long are you going to lie there?"

"What, are you giving up too?" the fan girl jeered. If Jizouko remembered correctly from the list Shikamaru was set to fight against Temari, so that's who this girl must be.

"Good luck!" Naruto shouted the only positive voice so far.

"If you won't come then I will!" Temari declared as she sprinted towards the boy lying on the ground.

"Hey! I didn't start the match yet!" the proctor tried to stop her.

Temari ignored him and slammed her fan into the ground where Shikamaru's head was lying.

"Ya know," the brunette drawled as he stood on two kunai he had stuck into the wall. "I don't really want to fight and I don't care whether I become a Chunin or not, but I'm not going to lose to a girl! So I guess I'll do it!"

Temari sent a wave of air at Shikamaru, knocking him off the wall. When the dust cleared he was nowhere to be seen.

_He's hiding in the trees, isn't he?_ Jizouko guessed as she looked down on the fight.

"Didn't he say that he would fight?" Takashi asked as he stepped up next to Jizouko.

"Oh, hey Taka-kun!" she grinned as she leaned back, popping her spine. "I almost forgot you were here!"

Takashi grunted in response as he kept his eyes glued to the fight, or lack thereof. Temari swung her fan, stirring up a gust of wind that reached all the way up into the stands.

_She's a wind user, like me_, Jizouko thought as she felt the wind tug at her short hair with a smirk.

A dark shape shot out of the cloud of dust Temari's attack had stirred up, causing the blonde to take three leaps backwards. The shape began to shrink back to its source, and Temari drew a line in the dirt at the farthest point it had reached.

"Ah… I see," she murmured to herself. "I've seen through your Kagamane No Jutsu! Looks like there's a limit to how much you can stretch or shrink the shape of your shadow, isn't there? No matter how much you change and stretch the shape of your shadow, you still can't stretch it further than the surface area of your normal shadow, right?"

"Ha ha, that's right," Shikamaru panted as he crouched against the wall in the shade. He frowned as he closed his eyes and touched his fingertips together.

"Is that some sort of hand sign?" Takashi asked softly, nudging Jizouko in the side.

"Not that I know of," she answered with a shake of her head.

"Looks like you're finally going to be a little serious!" Temari said when Shikamaru reached to pull something out of his weapons pouch.

She swung her fan again, stirring up more dust in the arena.

"There's no use hiding!" she shouted, "How long are you going to keep running away for? Give up already!" She swung her fan again.

From the cloud of dust Shikamaru threw a kunai which Temari deflected with the lacquered wood of her fan. She jumped back farther when she noticed the shadow reaching out towards her on the ground.

"Very good," Shikamaru applauded, "you saw through that."

"I see," Temari said, "you were whiling away the time waiting for the sun to drop lower. So the shadows of the wall and yourself would grow larger."

"Temari! From above!" Kankuro shouted, alerting his team mate of danger.

A small parachute floated down from the sky, creating a large shadow at the tip of Shikamaru's extended shadow.

"You won't escape!" Shikamaru shouted when Temari retreated further. "To be able to dodge even that attack…" he trailed off when she had exited his range.

Temari opened her fan and jammed it into the ground, creating a barrier between herself and her opponent. She crouched behind the fan and began to form hand signs before stopping all together. She stood up straight and began to mimic Shikamaru's movements.

"Heh, finally," Shikamaru chuckled as he drew his arms apart. "Kagamane No Jutsu, success!"

"Why won't my body move? The shadow couldn't have reached this far, besides…" Temari trailed off in disbelief.

"I'll show you what's behind you," Shikamaru said as he turned his head slightly, allowing Temari to move her own.

"Clever boy," Takashi applauded Shikamaru under his breath.

Jizouko frowned up at her team mate before she looked down to where he was looking.

"Oh!" she blinked when she the shadow going into a hole in the ground and emerging from another right behind Temari.

"You've noticed it haven't you?" Shikamaru asked, "That's the hole Naruto-kun dug and ambushed with in the previous battle. It's connected to the large hole in front of you."

"No way, the shadow inside the tunnel…" the blonde gasped.

"Exactly," Shikamaru confirmed as he turned his head back.

The brunette stepped to the side and then began walking towards the center of the arena, his opponent mirroring his every move. Everyone leaned in closer, not wanting to miss a thing.

"Yeah! Do it!" Naruto cheered, raising a fist in the air.

Shikamaru and Temari both raised their arms in the air and the tension grew.

"That's it. I give up," Shikamaru declared as sweat dripped down his face.

"Say wha?" Jizouko asked as she made a face and quickly leaned away from the railing.

"What?" Temari gasped her arm still in the air.

"I give up," the brunette said again. "The continuous use of the Kagamane No Jutsu has used up all of my chakra. I can barely bind you for ten more seconds. I had thought up about 200 more moves, but it looks like I'm out of time. I'm getting tired of this; one match is enough for me."

"Winner, Temari!" the proctor announced, officially calling the second match of the main tournament of the Chunin Exam.


	33. Chapter 33

"Takashi-kun's fight is next," Kyoko said as she bounced Kako gently on her lap.

"Yeah," Mirai nodded as she watched Takashi and his opponent take the field. "And Ji-chan's is after that…"

"Aneki," Kako wined, tugging at Kyoko's sleeve. "I wanna see Jizou-nee's fight!"

"Just wait, Kako-chan. It's coming up," she smiled down at the child. "Do you want to get some dango while we wait?"

The blonde boy nodded vigorously as he jumped off of his sister's lap and grabbed her hand, walking off to the concessions. No sooner had the two left someone new came and took their spot.

"I'm sorry, but that seat's taken," Mirai said politely, turning to look at the new comer. "Oh, it's you," she frowned when she recognized the woman next to her. "Why are you here?"

"You mean I can't watch a tournament with my daughter?" the woman sighed with a sad shake of her head. "What had this world come to?"

"How should you know?" Mirai spat, "It's not even your world anymore…"

The woman gazed at her daughter for a moment before turning to watch the arena.

* * *

><p>"The next fight is Akazaki Takashi versus Dosu!" the proctor announced as Takashi and a bandage-wrapped Oto-nin stepped into the center of the field. "Begin!"<p>

"This fight won't take more than five minutes," Dosu declared as he pushed up one of his long sleeves, revealing a bulky device with holes opening along the top attached to his arm.

Takashi observed his opponent with a blank face before taking out a scroll and opening it up. "I couldn't agree more," he smirked as he grabbed the bow and arrows that appeared in a cloud of smoke.

Dosu charged, drawing his arm back and swinging, barely missing Takashi. Even though Takashi dodged the blow without any harm to himself, the attack shattered the arrows in his hand, leaving him ammo-less.

"Heh, maybe I was wrong," Dosu chuckled darkly, "this won't take even three minutes!"

Takashi's smirk widened as he opened his hand to release the splinters left in it from the arrows and drew his bow string back.

"You expect to fire that with no arrows?" the bandaged Genin laughed. "You really must be stupid!"

Dosu's laughter was cut short when he noticed the glowing shape that was beginning to materialize. "What is that?" he gasped when the shape of an arrow notched into the bow became apparent.

Takashi's smirk turned into a wicked grin as he fired the arrow into Dosu's chest. "Your end," he said as the arrow pierced his opponent's chest.

* * *

><p>"What a guy," Mirai heard one of the spectators say. "To be able to make a weapon out of chakra and he's only a Genin… What clan did they say he was from?"<p>

"The Akazaki clan," another crowd member informed.

"Weapons experts," the woman next to Mirai said. "Some of the best in the world."

"Why are you here?" Mirai asked, not looking at the blonde woman next to her. "And where's Kyoko and Kako?" she looked around for her siblings.

"Kyoko-chan found someone else to sit with," the woman said with a knowing smirk. "And I must say I approve."

"What are you—" Mirai stopped mid question when she spotted the familiar blonde head of her sister sitting with the trademark brown hair of the Akazakis. "How did you know that?" she demanded, whipping her head around to look at the woman next to her.

"I'm a mother," the woman grinned coyly, "I know everything."

"Oh yeah?" Mirai frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Prove it."

"Okay," the woman agreed, "that young Uchiha boy is going to show up before Moriyama Jizouko's fight."

"Fat chance," Mirai scoffed, turning back to face the arena, "her fight is next."

* * *

><p>"Moriyama Jizouko and Yamakaze Toshiro; get down here!" the blonde proctor ordered as soon as the medical team took Dosu's body away.<p>

"Go get 'im, Jizouko-chan!" Naruto cheered as Jizouko vaulted over the railing.

She landed in a crouched position, stirring up a cloud of dust from the packed earth.

"Nice entrance," Takashi smirked as he passed by her on his way back to the competitors' viewing box.

"I aim to impress," she smirked as she stood up straight to her full height, all 143 centimeters of her.

She strode confidently into the center of the arena and stood waiting next to the proctor for her opponent to arrive.

"Come on!" someone in the crowd jeered. "Let's get this fight over with! We want to see the Uchiha!"

"Yeah! Where is he?" another chimed in.

"The crowd's getting restless," the proctor commented softly to Jizouko.

"Can't blame them," Jizouko scoffed as she watched the staircase for her opponent. "That last fight was probably only interesting to us shinobi."

The proctor chuckled dryly before shouting, "Hurry up, Yamakaze! We haven't got all day!"

From the dark mouth of the stair case the golden eyed boy from earlier stepped out into the sunshine. Jizouko locked eyes with him again and a strange chill ran down her spine.

_This should be fun_, she grinned as she tugged at her fingerless gloves.

No sooner had Toshiro stepped into the arena a strong wind stirred up the leaves lying on the ground. Jizouko frowned as she recognized the shapes obscured by the leaves.

"Show off," she muttered crossly as she glared at Sasuke and Kakashi when the leaves had cleared.

"Sorry we're late…" Kakashi trailed off, Jizouko didn't believe it for a moment.

"Your name?" the blonde proctor asked.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said, returning Jizouko's glare.

* * *

><p>"How did you know that?" Mirai gasped at the scene playing out in the arena.<p>

"I told you," the woman smiled coyly again, "I'm a mother and therefore know everything."


	34. Chapter 34

"Well… We showed up all flashy and the like," Kakashi started sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, "but could Sasuke-kun have been… disqualified?"

"Jeeze, you tardiness must be contagious," the proctor sighed with a shake of his head.

"So… What is it?" Kakashi prompted.

"Don't worry," the blonde proctor smirked, "we pushed Sasuke-kun's fight 'til the end. He hasn't been disqualified.

"Ahahahahaha, that's good! Good!" Kakashi laughed in relief.

"He just has to wait until Moriyama-chan is finished with her fight," the proctor informed.

"Hn, make it fast, shrimp," Sasuke ordered, smirking at Jizouko.

"Psh, whatever," Jizouko rolled her eyes at him. "Just watch and learn how it's done."

"Good luck, Jizouko-chan," Kakashi said, patting her shoulder as he and his student left the field.

_Like I need that_, she scoffed as she adjusted her hitai-ate that sat covering the top of her head like a skullcap.

"The fourth battle of the main tournament of the Chunin Selection Exam, begin!" the proctor yelled, raising his arm in the air.

Toshiro opened his mouth to say something, but before a sound could escape his lips Jizouko had caught him square across the jaw with a right hook.

"How about we give these nice people what they came here for and skip the talking," she suggested with her fists raised while Toshiro recovered from the blow.

"Heh, my thoughts exactly," he chuckled as he wiped the blood dripping down his chin with the back of his hand.

Jizouko charged again, aiming another punch at Toshiro only to have it blocked. The two grappled for a moment before jumping apart and drawing their weapons. Toshiro gripped a kunai in each hand and Jizouko with a shiruken slotted between each finger.

She threw her shiruken a handful at a time and uses the distraction to slip through Toshiro's guard and drive her knee into his diaphragm. He stumbled back trying to catch his breath and slashed out with one of his kunai. She grabbed his arm, pulled it straight and used it as leverage to flip him over her shoulder.

Toshiro quickly rolled away before Jizouko had the chance to hit him again, getting to his feet and holding his kunai in front of him. She barely had enough time to dodge his next move, earning a scratch on her cheek. She returned his smirk and got out her own kunai and settled into a defensive stance. She blocked his next attack and quickly kicked him away once he had made contact with her kunai.

Toshiro clicked his tongue as he performed a string of hand signs and clones of himself encircled his opponent. Jizouko glanced around at the ring of enemies closing in on her and performed her own hand signs.

_Wind Release: Devastating Whirlwind!_

The wind from her jutsu kicked up more dust as it slashed through the clones, dispersing them in a puff of smoke. The real Toshiro was caught up in the jutsu as well and was sent flying towards the wall surrounding the arena. He hit the solid mass hard and slid to the ground where he collapsed in a heap.

She glanced at the proctor to see if he was going to call the match, but the blonde man shook his head "no" when Toshiro slowly got up from the ground.

"I see that I need to be serious with you," he said as he stood on shaking legs.

Jizouko remained silent as she fished two more kunai out of her pouch and fitted them between her fingers along with her first. She charged again and swung her arm in a high arch, bringing it down hard onto her opponent. Toshiro blocked the blow and pushed back against the weight that Jizouko had poured into the attack. He easily threw her off and shoved her away from him so he could have room to regain his balance.

As soon as he gained a stable base he made a few more hand signs before his body flickered from view. Jizouko looked around trying to catch a glimpse of him but came up with nothing before she felt the air rush from her lungs. She doubled over clutching her stomach with wide eyes, what was going on? Her head was knocked back and she could taste blood in her mouth. Had Toshiro used an invisibility jutsu?

"Do you think you can keep up now?" he taunted as his form cam into focus again.

Jizouko spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground and stood up. She ran towards her opponent with her fist drawn back only to be knocked down to the ground.

"You can't hope to catch me now, I am the wind itself!" he boasted as he raised his hands at his side.

"The wind you say?" she coughed as she got up from the ground. "We'll just see about that."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose and released it through her mouth. Her eyes snapped open and then she disappeared. It was Toshiro's turn to be beaten around by an invisible force now.

His head was knocked in different directions as a mixture of blood, sweat, and spit flew into the air. He was finally sent flying across the stadium.

"What was that about not being able to catch you?" she scoffed when her body became visible again.

"What is this?" he demanded as he got up coughing. "Only the main branch of the Yamakaze clan can wield that power! I will kill you for this farce! Trash like you could never be a part of that lineage!"

_What's he on about? _Jizouko arched an inquisitive eyebrow as she watched her opponent fly into a blind rage.

She barely had enough time to dodge his wild fists and was finally able to catch his wrists and hold him in place. She grunted as she threw him with all her strength against the nearby wall. Toshiro's head hit the stone with a loud thunk and he slid to the ground, groaning and unconscious.

"Winner, Moriyama Jizouko!" the proctor announced above the now ecstatic crowd.


	35. Chapter 35

Jizouko looked down into the arena at the fight that had just begun. She had to admit, she did not envy Sasuke right now, not with his opponent…

She felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered walking past him in the hallway. She was almost certain she was going to die, he had killed those two ninjas that had tried to talk to him, shat was stopping him from doing the same to her?

She gripped the railing tightly as the cork shot out from the gourd on the red head's back and sand began to flow out of it.

_I don't think I can ever go to the beach again…_she thought as the color began to drain from her face.

"You don't look too good, Ji-chan," Takashi said as he placed a hand on her back. "Do you need to see a medical nin?"

"Maybe," she said as her arms began to shake, she was starting to feel the side effects of the jutsu she had used…

"Come on," he said as he gently tugged at her shoulder, pulling her from the railing. "Let's go."

She continued to watch the progressing fight over her shoulder until the dark hallway swallowed her vision.

* * *

><p>"So this is Konohagakure?" a brown haired man asked softly as he looked up at the tall walls that went far above the tree tops. "Can you smell her, Makoto-kun?" he asked the large white dog next to him.<p>

The dog lifted his long snout into the air and sniffed before barking in confirmation.

_Found you, t_he man thought as his gold eyes glittered in excitement.

* * *

><p>A hooded figure stood from its seat silently when it had seen the girl with purple streaked hair leave the competitor's box with a boy with medium brown hair. It had seen what it had come here to see, and now it had someone she needed to speak to.<p>

When the figure left the stadium and was out of eyesight of the guards at the entrance it pushed back its hood, revealing a pair of ruby eyes set into a woman's lightly tanned face framed by white hair layered over midnight black.

_Oh how you've grown, Ji-chan_…

* * *

><p>Jizouko was having trouble walking straight, shoot, she was having trouble even standing without falling!<p>

"If I'd known that jutsu would make me so tired, I wouldn't've used it!" she muttered sleepily as she leaned heavily on Takashi.

"Just keep that in mind for the future," he grunted as he adjusted her weight on his shoulder. "What was that thing even called?"

"Maka…" the rest of the name was slurred beyond recognition as Jizouko started snoring softly.

"Truly, you are an idiot," he sighed as he shifted her onto his back so he could carry her the rest of the way to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" Jizouko demanded frantically when she was jolted awake by the building shaking from its foundations. "An earthquake?"<p>

"No, giant snakes," Takashi corrected her as he looked out a nearby window.

"That was my next guess," she said as she watched the medics run around checking on the other patients.

"Can you stand?" Takashi asked as he dug around in his weapons pouch.

"Uh… No," she said after she fell back to the bed when she tried to stand.

"Eat these," he ordered as he gave her a handful of soldier pills.

"Ah, my favorite meal," she sighed jokingly as she swallowed all the pills on one go, feeling energy return to her exhausted muscles almost immediately.

"Where did Yamakaze-san go?" one of the medics shouted when they came upon the empty bed where Toshiro had been lying just before the snakes appeared.

"We'll find him," Jizouko declared as she jumped off of her bed and ran out of the door before any of the medics could protest.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you can sense his chakra?" Takashi asked as he followed Jizouko through the empty streets of Konoha. "I can't pick up any signatures other than ours…"<p>

"Yeah," she said as she turned another corner, "I did just fight the guy and all…"

"I'm just saying," he said defensively. "We are just Genin…"

"And have been for the past two years," Jizouko cut in.

"And we haven't been trained to located chakra signatures," Takashi finished, ignoring her comment.

"Just trust me on this," she sighed as they came into an open area with a fountain in the center. "See? Told you so!" she declared when Toshiro stumbled into the intersection as well.

"Uh, Ji-chan," Takashi said nervously, "I don't think we're the only ones looking for him…"

A white and black haired woman walked calmly after Toshiro who was still trying to get away.

"Hey!" Jizouko shouted, drawing both Toshiro and the woman's attention. "Who're you?"

The woman grinned as she pulled a dark hood over her face before she turned and left the clearing.

"Get back here!" Jizouko shouted as she chased after the hooded woman.

"Ji-chan! Gah!" Takashi groaned at his team mated before turning to Toshiro who was trying to escape unnoticed. "Oh no you don't," he said as he grabbed the collar of the escapee. "You've got some explaining to do."

* * *

><p>Jizouko followed the woman through the empty street as fast as she could, but the woman was still able to keep at least a block ahead of her. She followed the woman towards the east end of the village and had to dodge falling debris in a thick cloud of dust.<p>

"Woah!" she yelled when a large tail came crashing down on her through the nearby houses. _We must be near that giant snake!_ She decided as she took shelter under a fallen roof.

She curled up into a protective ball as more debris came raining down around her, maybe staying in one place wasn't the best idea…

Her eyes widened when she felt someone grab her thick canvas belt and drag her out from beneath her shelter. Her eyes grew even more when a large chunk of a building crushed where she had been not seconds ago.

She looked up at her savior and saw a man with gold eyes and something clicked in the back of her mind.

"_Get her out of here, Isamu!"_

Jizouko winced and clutched her head as she felt a headache coming on, the world going dark around her.

"It's okay, Jiyuudo-chan," the man said as he picked her up and her against his chest. "I'm here now."

* * *

><p>"If that woman is here then that means <em>he<em> is her too," Toshiro said with his back pressed against the brick wall of someone's home.

"Who?" Takashi asked, pointing a loaded bow at the golden eyed teen.

"But _he_ hasn't come off of that mountain in years, why would he be here?" Toshiro frowned to himself.

"Who?" Takashi asked again impatiently as he drew his bow tighter.

"Yamakaze Isamu," Toshiro said finally, locking eyes with Takashi.


	36. Chapter 36

Mirai had noticed the genjutsu right after it had been cast and released it before turning to the woman beside her to do the same to her. Much to her surprise the woman was sitting up as if nothing had happened staring into the arena with a worn out look on her face.

"And so it begins," the woman said as she closed her eyes before turning to face Mirai. "Your team mates need you," she said, locking blue eyes with the younger girl. "Go find them. You're much stronger together."

Mirai's eyes flicked over to the competitor's box and then back when she saw that they weren't there. "What about Kyoko and Kako?" she asked, refusing to move until she got an answer.

"They're in capable hands," the woman said, gesturing towards where the two had been sitting.

Mirai glanced over and saw her sister and brother safely encircled by the two older Akazaki boys and her sensei. She looked back at the blonde woman and gave a stiff nod before she stood and dashed out of the stadium, dodging enemy shinobi along the way.

The woman closed her eyes as she took a deep breath before turning to face the group of Oto-nin that had been sneaking up behind her.

"Would you boys care to hear your future?" she asked with a wicked light in her eyes, performing a string of hand signs.

* * *

><p>"Takashi-kun!" Mirai called out when she found her male team mate.<p>

He was standing over the boy that Jizouko had fought with his bow loaded and pointed at the boy's chest.

"Mirai-chan? What're you doing here?" he asked as she walked up next to him, not taking his eyes off of his golden eyed prisoner.

"Looking for you, where's Ji-chan?" she frowned as she looked around at the empty buildings.

"She went after that woman," Toshiro chuckled darkly, "you'll never be able to find her!"

"Oh, shut up, you," Takashi groaned as he punched his prisoner in the head, knocking him out cold.

Mirai winced as she clutched at her head when she felt a sharp pain in the middle of her forehead. Behind her closed eyes she saw a man with brown hair carrying a blurry shape in his arms as he ran through falling debris. She grunted in pain when the vision changed. The details weren't as sharp as the first one, but she could make out a woman's face with red eyes and black and white hair falling over tanned skin.

"Mirai-chan? Are you alright?" she felt Takashi place a hand on her back.

She cried out as she collapsed on the ground and curled into a ball when the colors swirled in her mind's eye and settled on a new picture. It was of a burnt out shell of a house nestled into a verdant clearing with a woman standing before it. The woman was dressed simply in a plain brown kimono, really the only thing that set her apart from anybody that Mirai had seen before was her purple streaked brown hair and string of silver earrings decorating her cartilage that peaked through her two toned strands.

Her stomach churned violently, prompting her to lunge to the side before its contents spilled onto the street.

"What's wrong?" Takashi asked worriedly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I… I'm not sure," Mirai gasped as her body shook uncontrollably. "We have to find Ji-chan!"

* * *

><p>Jizouko woke up again to the earth shaking beneath her.<p>

_Where am I?_ She panicked as she looked around her.

She was in a relatively intact store front lying on the floor behind the counter; she peaked through a display case and saw that the front window was shattered along with the majority of glass in the place.

_How did I end up here?_ She wondered rubbed her palm against her throbbing temple.

She stopped moving when she saw a large white dog sitting directly in front of her with its head tilted to the side staring right at her with deep black eyes.

"Uh… Hi?" she wasn't sure what to say, let alone do in this situation.

The dog wagged its long white tail as it stuck its tongue out and started to pant happily.

"Good boy," she said as she patted his head when she got up to leave.

The dog barked and jumped into her path as its tail wagged furiously, moving the back half of its body as well.

Jizouko frowned as she tried to maneuver around the animal only to have it jump in front of her each time.

"Hey, I can't play right now," she said as she managed to climb through the store window. "Go away."

The dog tilted its head and whined as she started to walk off. She stopped and turned around at the pitiful sound.

"Fine," she sighed loudly, "come on! You better not slow me down…"

Broken glass crunched beneath her feet as she walked down the street, not entirely sure where she was. The dog barked and padded up alongside her with its tail still wagging.

She smiled as she buried her hand in the long fur atop the canine's head; it looked like she'd made a friend…

She sighed as her thoughts began to wander as she walked through the empty street with her new companion. That woman she'd followed looked so familiar… But was it possible?

_Tomo-nee, are you alive?_ She dared to wonder as she turned a corner.


	37. Chapter 37

Jizouko slowly made her way back to the last place she had seen the woman before the building had come crashing down on her. The white dog leapt through the rubble with ease while she was having slightly more trouble.

"Ji-chan!"

She stopped and turned towards the voice and saw her two team mates running towards her. The dog let out a sharp bark before it ran away from deeper into the destroyed part of the village.

"What're you guys doing here?" she asked when the two came closer.

"Looking for you," Mirai panted as she looked around at the building remains around them.

"You shouldn't have run off like that," Takashi reprimanded her as he shook his head, "what, did you see something shiny and chase it or something?"

Jizouko was about to retort but was cut off by three new presences arriving on the scene.

"What do we have here?" a new voice chuckled darkly.

"Looks like three little Konoha-brats have lost their way," another chimed in.

"Perhaps we should send them to meet their maker," the last one suggested.

The three Genin turned to see a small cell of three Oto-nin advancing towards them.

"No, we're good," Mirai said nervously as she looked for a way out.

"I dunno," Takashi smirked as he rolled his shoulders back, "I wanna see if their bite is as bad as their bite."

"Yeah, I'm with him," Jizouko said as she dug a handful of kunai out of her weapons pouch.

Before Mirai could say anything the two charged the Oto-nin with their weapons drawn.

_Beast Replication: Wolf's Claw!_

Jizouko concentrated her chakra into the three blades in her hand as she slashed at one Oto-nin, catching him across the face and sending him to the ground. Takashi took his bow and struck at another in the throat, leaving his opponent gasping for breath on a heap of ruble.

The third shinobi unsheathed a short katana and held it in front of him in a defensive stance, prepared for either of the two to attack him. What the Oto-nin didn't plan for was Mirai casting a genjutsu on him that would make him pass out.

"Aw," Jizouko groaned playfully, "you're such a fun-spoiler, Mi-chan!"

"Whatever," the blonde grunted as she grabbed the back of Jizouko's tank top and Takashi's shirt and began to drag them away from the battered part of the village.

* * *

><p>Jizouko sighed heavily as the rain poured down on her from above. The weather certainly seemed to match the somber mood of the villagers dressed in black nicely; it hid the tears running down their faces.<p>

She sniffed lightly as she stared at the shrine standing at the front of the congregation. The third Hokage was dead, but at least he went out fighting. She smiled sadly at the thought as he mind wandered back to the first time she'd met the old man…

"_I send you three out on an information gathering mission and you come back with a child?" the old man arched an eyebrow as he fought back a smile. "I can't wait to hear this story…"_

_Jizouko peaked up at the strange man from behind the leg of one of the shinobi that had brought her to this strange new place. She blinked her large, gold-flecked purple eyes owlishly before a large grin broke out across her face, she decided that she liked this man._

"_Well, you see, Hokage-sama," the red headed girl started as she placed a gentle hand on Jizouko's head. "We were on our way back when she just wandered into our camp… She was all alone in the woods, we couldn't leave her out there!"_

"_I'm sure you couldn't, Akane-chan," the man chuckled good-naturedly. "But what if someone is looking for this child?"_

"_No," the green eyed boy shook his head sadly, "there were no signs of humans on that mountain, and the nearby villages didn't recognize her. I think she was abandoned…"_

_Jizouko tilted her head up at the boy curiously, what did "abandoned" mean?_

"_I see," the man said as he laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them. "What do you suggest be done with her, Takeshi-kun?"_

"_She can stay with me," the last member of the group said. "Father wants another daughter and since Mother died… I'm sure he will be more than willing to take her in."_

"_Very well, Tomoe-chan," the man agreed as he closed his eyes._

_Jizouko looked up at the ruby eyed girl that had offered to take her in with shining eyes as the girl smiled down at her._

Jizouko wiped at the water running down her cheeks as she sighed, the rain had stopped.

"Ji-chan," she heard Takashi as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we're all heading back for lunch."

"You guys go on ahead," she said as she put on the brightest smile she could manage. "I'll meet up with you later."

Takashi looked into her eyes for a long moment before nodding and turning to leave with his family. She watched as he wrapped a comforting arm around Mirai as he walked away with her. Jizouko turned to leave in another direction and her smile dropped from her face.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Oji-chan," Jizouko grinned as she sat down on the damp grass with a soft thump. "How's the afterlife?" she asked the headstone in front of her.<p>

The name engraved into the polished marble read **Akazaki Hideo**.

"I kept them safe, just like you asked," she informed as her fingertips traced the kanji. "But I don't think they were quite worth your life…" she gave a half smile as she thought of the two items she had safely hidden in her apartment.

"Your greatest 'masterpiece', collecting dust under the floorboards…" she scoffed as she gripped at her ankles. "It's enough to make you want to cry…"


	38. Chapter 38

So this is set in a slightly different world where Sasuke doesn't leave Konoha and the gang's around 20ish. Enjoy~

* * *

><p>Wildflower: a Very Special Christmas Special<p>

* * *

><p>Uchiha Sasuke was miserable; there was no doubt about it. It was Christmas Eve and all he had to keep him company was a now almost empty bottle of sake. He could hear the growing sounds of merriment from outside his apartment. He would gladly join in the party, but he had barricaded himself in his bedroom for fear of being mobbed by the village's female population.<p>

He brought the bottle to his lips one more time to find that it was empty. He sighed heavily as he let it drop to the floor as he lay back on his bed.

All of his so called "friends" had learned a long time ago to leave him alone during the holidays. So here he was, all by himself, even the sake had deserted him…

_Maybe it'd be better if I didn't exist…_ he mused as he let his eyelids slide shut.

* * *

><p>Sasuke awoke what felt like seconds later to a weight on his chest. He groaned as he stretched, opening his eyes to find a pair of gold-flecked purple orbs staring down at him.<p>

"Buzz off, Jizouko," he grunted as he shoved her face away from his.

He heard her grunt as she fell out of his vision and felt the mattress give in under her weight next to him. He felt her hands on his shoulder before she shoved him off of the bed and onto the floor.

"Get up," she ordered as she leaned over the side and looked down on him. "It's not nice to sleep in other people's houses without being invited."

"Tch, you should know," he accused as he sat up rubbing his head. "Fee-loader."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously before she launched herself off the bed at him. He braced himself for the impact but it never came, he felt a rush of air around him instead, almost as if he was falling. He blinked rapidly and looked around. He was floating in the air above the kitchen of the apartment beneath his.

"What the Hell?" he demanded before his back hit the kitchen counter, leaving him gasping for the breath knocked from his lungs.

His eyes widened even more when he saw Jizouko's head looking down at him from the ceiling before they narrowed again.

"Very funny," he spat as he got off of the counter. "A jutsu like that shouldn't be used for childish pranks."

"Yes mother," she rolled her eyes at him. "Come on, there's something I want to show you," she said as the rest of her body passed through the ceiling and grabbed his hand.

* * *

><p>"Why are we at Naruto's?" Sasuke asked as he looked around the familiar apartment. It was much messier than usual and the moonlight barely shone through the tightly drawn curtains.<p>

"Before you fell asleep you were thinking that everyone would be better off if you didn't exist," Jizouko said, looking down as she picked her way through the piles of trash. "You were wrong."

"Jizouko, what're you—" he started to ask but was cut off.

"I'm not 'Jizouko', in case you haven't noticed," she said turning to give him a sharp look. "Or is it not unusual for her to be able to pass through solid objects and know what you were thinking?"

Sasuke frowned as he looked closely at her for a moment before speaking up again. "Then who are you? And why do you look so much like her?"

"I am merely your guide," she said, turning back, "nothing else."

"My other question," he demanded, catching her arm and forcing her to face him.

"You were dreaming of her," she said simply as she blinked her purple eyes. "I felt that it would be the best form to take…"

"Pick a new one," he ordered as he shoved roughly past her into the dark apartment. "Now what was it that you wanted to show me?"

"Over here," her voice had taken on a more masculine tone. Sasuke looked over and saw that Jizouko's familiar form had been replaced by a nondescript man. With his plain black hair and pale skin Sasuke could have seen him anytime in his life and not remembered.

His frown grew as he looked over to where the man had gestured in slight interest.

"Naruto?" he called out to his blonde friend curled up on a lumpy mattress.

"He can't hear you," the man said, walking up next to him. "You don't exist."

Sasuke spared the man a quick glare before reaching out to shake his friend awake, only to have his hand phase through Naruto's shoulder. He quickly pulled his hand back and looked at the man, silently demanding an answer.

"I told you," the man said, "you don't exist."

Sasuke scowled as he thought about this, looking back at his friend. He almost jumped when he was met by a pair of cold, icy blue eyes instead of the laughing sky blue orbs he had become accustomed to.

* * *

><p>"What happened to Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he and the man walked through the cold streets of Konoha.<p>

"You weren't there," the man said simply as they passed under a street lamp. Sasuke noted off hand that they didn't cast shadows…

"That's not much of an explanation," the raven haired man growled as he fixed his coal black eyes on the man.

"But it's the truth," the man shrugged as he kept his eyes fixed ahead. "Because you didn't exist Naruto didn't have anyone to acknowledge him so he became bitter and distant."

"So you're saying that if it wasn't for that stupid rivalry Naruto would've turned out like Gaara?" Sasuke asked incredulously. "Why do I find that hard to believe?" he scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Believe whatever you like, but you are important to those living in Konoha, and if it wasn't for you then a lot of things would be different."

"Hmph, we'll see."

* * *

><p>The man had taken Sasuke all over the village and shown him how his friends' lives were somehow worse without him. Sakura and Ino had gotten into a fight that wasn't as easily pushed aside as a school girl crush, Lee had accepted that he was a failure of a ninja because he wasn't around to challenge instead of Neji and was perpetually depressed, since Sasuke wasn't around Kiba had gone through the Academy unopposed for the spot of "cool kid" and was an all around jerk for it (more so than usual), since Naruto had turned cold and angry at the world Hinata hadn't developed feelings for him and because of that she had no reason to push herself to become a better kunoichi, the list went on and on.<p>

But there was one person that the man hadn't shown him, Jizouko.

"What about Jizouko?" he asked, _I bet her life is better without me…_ he finished in his mind.

"How is she?" he tried again when the man remained silent.

"I said I would show you all of those in the village," the man said after a while, "and I did."

Sasuke stopped walking and grabbed the man's arm in a vice-like grip. "How is she?" he asked again in a dangerously low tone.

The man took a deep breath and the colors swirled around them. "Turn around," he advised after he released his breath.

Sasuke turned, but saw nothing except for the ancient trees of the forest surrounding Konoha.

"Where is she?" he demanded as he turned back around.

"She is here," the man assured him, "this is her final resting place."

"What?" Sasuke gasped in horror as he thought of the woman he knew so well trapped in the eternal slumber that had claimed so many in his life. "How?" he demanded, his composure returning.

"She left the village when she was young and succumbed to the elements when winter came," the man said with a vacant look in his eyes. "She didn't even make it to five…"

A chill ran down Sasuke's spine at this news. If it wasn't for him, Jizouko would be dead?

"How is that possible?" he asked in bewilderment. "We didn't even meet until we were…"

"Twelve," the man finished for him, "that's true, but when you were even younger she saw you and her curiosity prompted her to stay until eventually she forgot where she came from so she had no place except for Konoha to call home."

Sasuke reached a shaking hand out to rest on a nearby tree for support as he tried to digest it all.

"Do you still wish that you had never been born?" the man asked, "It's within my powers to change that…"

Sasuke pushed his bangs back with his free hand as he took an uneven breath. If it wasn't for him so much would be different in the village, and more importantly (to him) Jizouko would be dead.

"No," he said barely above a whisper as he closed his eyes and allowed darkness to take over his senses.

* * *

><p>A knocking sound assailed his sensitive ears, causing Sasuke to groan and place his pillow over his head. Sake was definitely not his friend if the hangover meant anything…<p>

When the knocking went away he hoped that whoever was at his door took the hint that he didn't want to be disturbed. Apparently that wasn't the case when a light tapping came from his window.

He tried his best to glare with watery eyes out the window, but his irritation gave way to a twitching almost smile when he saw Jizouko perched on a snowy branch outside the glass.

"Hey!" she chirped as she waved a gloved hand in greeting, "Open up! It's cold outside!"

He stood up slowly and made his way to the window at a languid pace as a playful smirk tugged at his lips. "Give me one good reason," he challenged as he stood in front of the glass.

"I have a gift for you!" she offered as her teeth began to chatter from the cold. "Come on, it's freezing out here!"

Sasuke held back a chuckle as he undid the latch and opened the window for her. He hadn't even raised the bottom pane all the way when she launched herself off the branch she was perched on into his room. He stumbled back slightly before falling to the ground with her arms wrapped around him.

"So warm," she sighed as she buried her face in his chest.

"So where's my present?" he asked playfully, knowing full well that she didn't have one for him.

"Right here," she said as she tilted her head up and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Merry Christmas!"


	39. Chapter 39

Somehow Jizouko had gotten herself onto the list of people Sasuke wanted to fight, leading them to spar every day since the Hokage's funeral. She found that it was a nice distraction from her daily life which seemed to be getting worse and worse.

She hadn't seen Takeshi since the first day of the Chunin Exams almost two months ago, and she was beginning to get worried. Maybe she should go talk to Kakashi and see if he knew anything…

And to make things worse, she felt that she and her team mates were drifting slowly a part. Mirai was going through something, she could tell, but her blonde friend refused to tell anyone anything about it. Takashi was so wrapped up in his clan training since Ichiro was back in the village for the time being and she hadn't seen him at all since the Hokage was laid to rest. She knew that she was also adding to the problem, she spent most of her time training with Sasuke that her friends must feel as abandoned as she does…

Jizouko sighed heavily as she sat on her bed, maybe she should skip sparring with Sasuke today and try to talk to them…

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, staring at the ground on a park bench around noon. She could feel bitterness eating away at her heart as she decided to try to count the blades of grass to distract herself.<p>

Takashi wasn't home; his mother said that he was out training with his brothers. Mirai claimed to be deathly ill so she couldn't see anyone for the foreseeable future. Jizouko knew she was lying, but she just couldn't bring herself to call her old friend out on it.

She had counted up to 387 when someone came and sat next to her on the bench. She looked up and saw a man with light brown hair and tan skin. She blinked her violet hues for a moment, why did this man seem so familiar?

The man glanced over at Jizouko and when his golden eyes met her gaze she realized she was staring.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she turned her eyes back to the grass.

She could feel the man's eyes on her for a moment more before he too turned away. A calming silence fell over the two as the world passed by around them until a large white dog padded up to them.

"I remember you," Jizouko grinned as she reached out to pet the animal. "Where'd you run off to?"

The dog panted happily as it nuzzled her hand affectionately.

_At least someone wants to see me today…_ she thought as she scratched behind one of the dog's long ears.

"Makoto-kun," the man said as he held out a hand for the dog.

The dog turned slightly to face the man with its tail wagging.

"Why'd you run away, boy?" the man asked as he rubbed the top of the dog's head. The dog barked once in response before laying his head on Jizouko's feet.

"Is this your dog?" Jizouko asked, looking back up at the man.

"No," the man shook his head, "I'm just looking after him for a while. He's my niece's."

"I bet she misses him," she mused as she stroked the dog's head gently.

"Not as much as he misses her," the man chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is—"

"Isamu," Jizouko finished for him before blinking rapidly, how did she know that?

"Yes," Isamu smiled, "and you are Jiyuudo." It didn't even sound like a question…

She blinked as she looked up at him before smiling nervously. "No, Jizouko."

* * *

><p>Jizouko was walking around Konoha looking for something to do. The place where she and Sasuke would train was vacant, she guessed that he didn't want to train today either. The large white dog walked beside her faithfully, a reminder of what happened in the park.<p>

She was walking down one of the more vacant streets of the village; she couldn't even hear distant voices from the market place that pervaded the air in every other section. The dog suddenly let out a sharp bark before turning around and running down the street.

_That was weird_, she thought as she watched the canine leave.

She didn't have long to reflect on what had happened when a set of footsteps echoed off the buildings' walls. She turned back around at the sound and saw Sasuke running down the street towards her.

"Woah! Where's the fire?" she asked when he came to a stop in front of her.

"Have you seen Naruto?" he asked, grabbing a hold of her shoulders.

"No, I haven't seen anyone today," she shook her head, "why?"

Sasuke growled in frustration as he let go of her and looked around the street. "Where could he have gone?" he muttered.

"Sasuke-kun, is Naruto-kun in trouble?" she asked, grabbing a hold of his arm before he could take off again.

His onyx orbs told her everything she needed to know. "Let's go," she nodded as she let go of his arm, running down the street with him.

* * *

><p>"We'll split up," Sasuke decided when the two of them skidded to a stop at the entrance to a small village. "We can cover more ground that way."<p>

Jizouko nodded in agreement before she darted down a nearby street. On their way to the village Sasuke told her who to look for, a large older man with long white hair and Naruto. She took a deep breath and began to concentrate her chakra; she could cover more ground in the Makaze. Before she finished gathering her chakra she ran head on into a solid mass and tumbled to the ground.

"Sorry," she said as she scrambled to get up, "I wasn't looking where I was going…"

She looked up at the man she had run into, he was an older man who fit the description that Sasuke had given her with a woman hanging over his shoulder. Maybe he wasn't the one she was looking for…

"Are you here with Naruto-kun?" she asked anyways.

The man, who hadn't even spared Jizouko a sideways glance before, now looked at her seriously. "What business do you have with my student?" he asked, leaning down to her eye level. "You're too cute to be his girlfriend…"


	40. Chapter 40

Jizouko panted heavily as she placed a hand on a nearby wall for support. She had learned from the old man where Naruto was and had ran ahead using the Makaze, probably not her best idea since it left her with little to no energy afterwards…

There were two men about halfway down the hall in front of an open door wearing black cloaks with a red cloud design along the bottom hem. The taller of the two had blue skin and hair with a large sword strapped to his back. Her already racing pulse sped up when she saw Naruto's familiar orange clad form step slowly from the open door.

"Naruto-kun!" she wasn't thinking when she called out to him, drawing the two cloaked men's attention.

The taller man's beady eyes gave her the impression of a shark staring her down, causing a shudder to run down her spine. That was nothing compared to the feeling the other man's red eyes stirred in the pit of her stomach.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion after she locked eyes with the shorter of the two. She felt her legs give out from exhaustion (or so she would tell anyone who asked), and not once on her way to the wooden floor did she break eye contact with those ruby orbs. She thought she heard Naruto yell her name, but his voice was drowned out by a woman's scream echoing in her head.

* * *

><p>Jizouko's eyes fluttered open to find herself surrounded by a strange light. Instead of blue, the sky shone a bloody red; everything else glowed with a black light. It was a strange world; it reminded her of a negative of a photograph…<p>

"Hello?" she called out, turning in a full circle trying to find another person.

From just beyond the ring of trees that circled around her she thought she saw movement from the corner of her eye. She turned quickly trying to catch it and saw a small child, a girl no older than three if she had to guess.

"Um, hello," she started as she took a step closer to the girl, "are your parents around?"

The girl shook her head "no" and started to shy away holding her hands to her chest.

"It's okay," Jizouko smiled gently, "I won't hurt you."

The girl looked up at her with large, innocent eyes and walked up to her and beckoned for her to lean down. "But I will," the girl whispered into her ear with a wicked grin before pulling out a kunai and stabbing her in the chest.

Jizouko stumbled back and fell to the ground with the knife sticking out of her chest. "What?" she gasped in a mixture of pain and disbelief.

The girl's form stretched and morphed into the man with the red eyes. She recognized them to be the Sharingan eyes as she tried to push herself away from the man with a hand pressed against her wound. Aside from Kakashi and Sasuke only one other person in the world had those eyes…

"Uchiha Itachi," she said barely above a whisper.

"For the next 24 hours you will relive your worst memories," he said as he looked down on her with his kekkei genkai activated.

The colors of the strange negative world swirled around her and focused into the image of a pair of Sharingan eyes taking up most of the crimson sky. She threw her head back and her own scream replaced the woman's that she had come to associate with the image.

* * *

><p>Jizouko groaned in pain as her senses began to return to her body. What she felt first and foremost was pure exhaustion moving in waves up and down her body. Next was a pounding in her head, she lifted a heavy arm to try and rub the pressure away, but the effort proved to be too much and her limb just flopped back to the ground beside her. Then came the pain. Not a physical pain, but an emotional one. She felt as if her heart had been shattered into a million pieces a million times and then crudely stitched back together with barbed wire.<p>

She didn't dare open her eyes, what if she was in the genjutsu still? What new horror would she be forced to relive?

"Eh? Jizouko-chan?" she heard Naruto's voice. She was going to force herself to believe that he was okay and she was out of the genjutsu now…

"Naruto-kun?" she croaked as she opened her eyes a crack, it felt like her eyelids were made of lead.

"Ero-senin!" the blonde yelled in relief, "Jizouko-chan's waking up!" his footsteps carried him away from her prone form.

She allowed her violet hues to roam around the damaged hallway. She noted the large chunk missing from the wall along one side and finally the dark figure next to her.

"Sasuke-kun," she whispered as she clumsily propped herself up on an elbow and turned onto her stomach. "Hey, answer me," she pleaded when he remained silent, shaking him gently on the shoulder. "Sasuke-kun?" her voice returned to a whisper as she looked into his empty, glazed over black eyes.

She turned her head quickly towards where she heard Naruto's footsteps go. The movement made her head spin and her body lurched forward, but she remained upright for the most part.

"What happened to him?" she demanded of the bleary figures she saw.

"The same thing that happened to you," she recognized the voice of the old man she had run into and his form came into focus as he crouched down next to her. Another wave of exhaustion washed over her and her body fell forward back onto the floor. "It's a miracle that you're even conscious right now," the man said with an arched eyebrow as he helped her sit up again.

_I wish I wasn't_, she thought as the pounding in her head increased.

"Jiraya-sama," a new voice cut in, "we need to get these two back to Konoha immediately."

The white haired man nodded in the direction of the new voice. "Can you walk, Jizouko-chan?"


	41. Chapter 41

Jizouko sat on the edge of her bed staring down at the floorboards in her room. She hadn't been able to sleep since she and Sasuke had been brought back to the village a few days ago by everyone's favorite "youthful" Jounin, Maito Gai. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she rested her chin on them, still looking at the floor. She hated to admit it, but she was scared. Scared that if she fell asleep she would be forced to relive her worst nightmares. Scared that if she fell asleep she wouldn't wake up, like Sasuke.

She groaned as her eyelids began to droop, shaking her head violently to stay awake. Suddenly an idea hit her; she would train so she could stay awake. She got off her bed and knelt on the floor and lifted up a loose slat to reveal a secret space. She reached into the inky compartment and pulled out two sheathed shot swords, one with black wrappings around the grip and the other with white.

She held them close to her chest as she remembered the man who had given them to her.

_You never did make anything to be a dust collector, Hideo-san_; she thought with a sad half-smile as she lifter her eyes to the ceiling.

* * *

><p>Jizouko frowned as she pressed the blade of one of the short swords against her palm, it was dull…<p>

_You can hardly cut air with this thing!_ She thought as she added more pressure, making a red line on her skin.

"_Why would you make a dull sword, Hideo-ji?"_

"_Try concentrating on it real hard, like you did with those papers, Ji-chan."_

_Oh!_ She realized the answer.

She inhaled deeply as she concentrated her chakra into the blade and tried it again on her palm, slicing open her skin like it was hot butter.

"So that's how it works," she said as she winced slightly from the pain. "Crafty old fart, weren't you?"

She looked up at the sky from her seated position and saw that the night was just beginning to fade away. She groaned as she flopped back onto the hard ground of the clearing she was seated in, it felt like it had been much longer than the few hours that had actually passed. Maybe she should close her eyes, what was the worst that could happen?

"Just for a moment," she muttered sleepily as she allowed her eyes to slide shut.

* * *

><p>Jizouko woke with a jolt what felt like a few seconds later clawing at a blanket that had been placed over her. She panted heavily as she gripped at her head while sweat dripped down her neck. She concentrated on the rough cloth that pooled around her waist as she tried to push her nightmare from her mind. She grunted and shook her head as she looked up when she recognized the sounds of a fire not far away.<p>

"Good morning," the man from the park smiled at her as he prodded the embers of a small fire. "How'd you sleep?"

"Horrible," she muttered softly as she looked back down at her lap. "Uh, Yamakaze-san?" she looked back up at the man who was now much closer to her.

"Eat this," he said as he handed her a bowl full of soup. "And call me Isamu."

"Why are you here?" she asked as she held the bowl in her lap. She spared a glance down at its contents and saw what she recognized to be edible roots floating in a semi-clear broth.

"Well, right now I just finished serving you breakfast," he said with a cheeky grin, "and later I think I might go for a walk. Now eat," he ordered, pointing at the bowl as he sat down across from her and gave her a stern look.

Jizouko turned to the bowl and lifted the spoon. The utensil may as well have been made of lead for how heavy it felt in her shaking hand. She didn't notice how hungry she was, but after the first spoonful she ate like she hadn't had anything for months. The man smiled as he took the now empty bowl from her and refilled it before handing it back.

"The other day in the park you called me Jiyuudo," she said as she chewed thoughtfully on a spoonful, "why?"

"You knew my name before I introduced myself to you," he shot back with a smirk, "why?"

Jizouko opened and closed her mouth as she searched for an answer. "I don't know," she admitted, looking down into her soup. "It just sort of came to me… like I met you somewhere before but I forgot…"

"Jiyuudo is my niece's name," Isamu said after a pause. "Or at least it was, it's been so long since I've seen her… You look just like her," Jizouko looked up at his statement, "that's why. I thought for a moment that I found her, but when you said your name was Jizouko I realized I was wrong. Sorry if I scared you," he offered an apologetic smile.

"It's okay," she said as she smiled back. "Thank you for the meal and I hope you find your niece," she bowed before she grabbed the two swords that had been lying next to her.

* * *

><p>Isamu sat serenely as he watched his niece walk out of the clearing. He knew in his heart that it was her from the first moment her saw her, not many people in the world had the same hair and eyes. Even Makoto believed it was her, solidifying his faith that he had found Jiyuudo.<p>

"You're letting her go?" a woman's voice questioned as soon as Jiyuudo had entered the trees. "After all this time?"

"Yes," he said as he closed his eyes and nodded.

"Why?" the woman asked and he heard her sit next to him.

"Because no matter how far she wanders I know that she'll return home one day," he said as he opened his gold eyes and looked to the side at the woman.

"But what if this place has become her home?" the woman asked, meeting his eyes with her own ruby orbs.

"Then I would have gotten to see her one last time before I pass," he closed his eyes again and inhaled deeply. "And even if it has I'll still be there for her."


	42. Chapter 42

Jizouko took a deep breath before knocking on the familiar door she was standing in front of. She waited patiently until the door opened to reveal a middle-aged blonde man with a semi-startled look on his face.

"You know how to knock?" he asked incredulously as he looked her over closely. "Who are you and what have you done with Jizouko-chan?"

"It's nice to see you too, Yume-san," she said as she held back a smart remark. "Is Mirai-chan here?"

"She's in her room," the man said as he stepped aside and let her in. "She's been holed up in there ever since her mother came back in town…"

Jizouko remained quiet for a moment as a thoughtful frown crossed her face. In the seven years that she and Mirai had known each other the blonde had never even let on that she had a mother.

"Where is Yume-san now?" she asked innocently. "I would like to meet her, if that's okay with you."

"She's talking to the Elders right now," the man said as he shut the door. "Then she said she was going to go to the market. You can stay for dinner if you like."

"Thank you," she said as she began to climb the stairs that she knew would lead to Mirai's room.

* * *

><p>Mirai sat with her back against the wall with her head resting on her knees, her blonde hair forming a curtain shielding her tear-stained face from view.<p>

_Why'd she have to come back?_ She thought glumly, _things were just beginning to go so well…_

A light knocking interrupted her from her musings.

"Go away," she sniffed as she rubbed at her eyes. She assumed that it was her mother again, come to try and talk her way out of eight years of being gone.

"Mi-chan, it's me," she recognized Jizouko's voice from the other side of her door. "Please let me in."

Mirai sighed heavily as she got up and walked to the door.

"What do you want?" she asked when she had opened the door a crack, just enough so one of her blue eyes was showing.

"To talk with you, can I come in?" the tan girl asked as she tried to push the door open more.

"You can talk from there," Mirai snapped, the anger in her voice surprised herself.

"What's wrong?" Jizouko asked, had she noticed her red eyes?

"Nothing," the blonde fibbed, "there, we talked. Now leave."

"That's a lie," the violet eyed girl said as she narrowed her eyes at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Mirai tried again, "I'm sick and I don't want to infect you."

"Is it because you didn't make it to the finals?" Jizouko asked, trying to find out what was bugging her.

"Trust me, it's not that," the blonde scoffed as she started to shut the door.

"Then what is it?" the dark girl asked as she caught the door. "Mi-chan, you're my best friend," she started as her voice began to shake, "it hurts me to see you hurt. Please tell me what's wrong and I'll do my best to make things better, I promise."

"Fine," Mirai grunted as she opened the door violently. "You want to know what's wrong? Here's what's wrong: my mother. Try and fix that."

Jizouko blinked her purple orbs for a moment as she tried to comprehend what her friend had just said.

"You're not glad that your mother's back?" she asked after a tense moment.

"Why should I be?" Mirai growled, "_She_ left _us_, and she just reappears one day and everyone acts like nothing's happened! Kyoko _dropped out_ so she could take care of Kako; he even calls her 'mom' sometimes! Something _broke_ in Father; he was never the same after she left!"

"What about you?" Jizouko asked softly, interrupting her rant.

"What about me?" she spat as her blue eyes flashed. "I've moved on, unlike everyone else. I want nothing to do with her, but she won't leave me alone!"

"Maybe she wants to make up for what she's done," her friend suggested.

"Hmph, nothing could erase eight years," she grunted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what kind of jutsu she's cast on the others, but I won't fall for it so easily."

"You make it seem like she's some sort of witch," the mostly brunette chuckled slightly. "She can't be that bad…"

"Why're you defending her?" Mirai narrowed her eyes dangerously, scrutinizing her friend carefully. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"What? Mi-chan," Jizouko gasped, "I—"

"You heard me," she interrupted her friend. "That woman told you to come up here to try and win me over. What's she paying you in? Food?"

"Look, I'm not—"

"I don't want to hear it! Get out!" she slammed the door in Jizouko's face before she could respond.

"Hey! We're not done yet!" Jizouko yelled from the other side of the door as she banged her fist against the wood.

"Yes we are!" Mirai shouted back as she clenched her fists. "And I don't mean just this conversation, our friendship too! So you can just go and tell that woman that her plan failed and never come back!"

The other side of the door was silent for a long moment before Jizouko said anything.

"You don't mean that," her voice was barely audible through the wood. "You don't mean that!" she repeated in a yell.

"Yes I do! Now get out!" Mirai yelled back as angry tears fell down her face.

"Fine!" Jizouko shouted back before she heard feet thumping down the stairs.

Mirai threw herself onto her bed and screamed into her pillow. If she ever saw that girl again it would be too soon! She looked up at the picture sitting on her bedside table and gave it a watery glare before slamming it face down onto the wood. She winced when she heard the glass break from the force she used, but convinced herself that she didn't care. Team four may as well be disbanded after the Chunin Exams, Takashi and Jizouko had done well enough to catch the attention of the village Elders, she could guarantee it.

_No!_ She cut off her thoughts when they started to wander towards her team. _They've moved on with their lives and so should I! I never want to see them again!_

And with those thoughts she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Jizouko had run crying out of the Yume household, not caring where she went just as long as she got away from that place. She barely even noticed when she ran into a woman carrying an armful of groceries; she kept running as tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.<p>

Her world was falling apart. Takeshi was missing, Mirai hated her guts, and Sasuke was in a coma, what's next? Takashi never talking to her again? It was just like back then all over again…

Her feet finally came to a stop and she was brought back to reality. She was in a white room illuminated by the late afternoon sun spilling in through the window. She looked around tiredly, she recognized the room as the hospital, but why would she come here?

She sighed heavily when she noticed the familiar figure tucked into the white sheets of the bed. For some reason she had chosen Sasuke's room as her get away.

"You're not going to tell me to get lost too, are you?" she asked as she pulled a chair closer to his bed and collapsed into it.

The only sound was his steady breathing and the heart monitor beeping softly.

"Yeah, I thought so," she sighed as she folded her arms on the side of his bed and rested her head on them, letting her tears fall freely down her face.


	43. Chapter 43

"Hey, Ji-chan," a gentle voice called out to her as she was shaken awake. "It's time to wake up."

Jizouko blinked her tired eyes as a pair of green orbs came into bleary focus.

"Taka-kun?" she asked sleepily as she buried her face in her arms again.

"Nope," the voice chuckled, "it's your other favorite Akazaki Brother!"

"Ichi-nii?" she feigned stupidity.

"That hurts, Ji-chan," the voice sighed. "It really does…"

"Why're you here, Jiro-kun?" she wined into the white sheets.

"I heard about the fight," he said after a long pause and Jizouko felt one of his hands on her shoulder.

"Please be more specific," she said as she burrowed deeper into the stiff mattress. "There've been a lot of fights lately…"

"The one with Mirai," Jiro specified, she could feel his pointed look on her.

"Oh," she said softly as she sat up straight. "That one…"

"Come on," he said as he pulled on her arm. "I'm not going to let you mope around your comatose boyfriend's hospital room. We're gonna get some food and then we can throw rocks at squirrels or something until you smile."

"He's not my boyfriend," she protested weakly as he forced her out of the sterile room.

* * *

><p>"So what did you two even get into a fight about?" Jiro asked as he folded his hands behind his back, keeping his eyes on the busy street they were walking down.<p>

"I don't even know," Jizouko sighed, "something stupid, that's for sure…"

"I'm surprised that you guys are capable of arguing," he mused with a light chuckle. "I think the last time I even heard of a disagreement between you two it was about who was going to sleep on the floor and you ended up taking the blankets off her bed and made a nest in the middle of her room."

"Yeah," she smiled fondly at the memory. "Wait, how do you even hear about these things?" she asked, looking up at the green eyed man.

"I have my sources," he answered vaguely with a coy smile on his face.

"Kyoko-san told you, didn't she?" she accused with a blank look.

"Yeah," he sighed dreamily, "she did."

"Oh Gods," Jizouko couldn't help but roll her eyes at his lovesick expression.

"You're just jealous that that Uchiha kid doesn't act the same way about you!" Jiro teased as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"For the last time, Jiro-kun," she sighed in exasperation, "he's not my boyfriend!"

"Then why were you in his hospital room, hmm?" he asked as he leaned down so his face was next to hers.

"Because… I don't know," she admitted as she shook her head. "No one else seemed to be available."

"Yeah," he sighed as he rubbed the back of his head with a frown. "I tried to get Aniki to let Taka-kun off of training for the day, but he said that 'the only way he's getting out of training is in a body bag', and that's a quote, too."

"I could see that," she giggled into her hand.

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they continued to walk around Konoha with no particular destination in mind.

* * *

><p>Akane glared into her green tea as she swirled it around in her cup. She had gotten a note from Takeshi asking her to meet at the tea shop, and there she was, but he wasn't.<p>

_I swear, if that bastard is just playing around…_ She thought dangerously as she took a large swig of her drink. _I'll kill him!_

"Sorry I'm late, Akane-chan," she recognized his voice as he slid into the booth in front of her. "It took longer than I expected to file the paperwork…"

"Where the _Hell_ were you?" she demanded as she slammed her cup onto the table with an angry thunk. "We thought you died!"

"We?" he asked as he leaned over the table towards her.

"Yes, we!" she continued to fume, "The Elders were ready to put your name on the K.I.A. stone and send out an Undertaker Squad!"

"And what did you think, Akane-chan?" he pressed as he leaned in closer.

"I thought that you better have a damn good reason for disappearing like that," she growled as she narrowed her emerald eyes at him.

"Missed you too," he chuckled as he pressed his lips against her forehead and leaned back quickly to get out of her attack range. "And don't worry, I did," he reassured her as he signaled to someone behind her.

"Unless you brought someone back from the dead I don't really want to hear it," she muttered crossly as she fought against the blush rising in her cheeks.

"Funny you should say that," a woman's voice chuckled nervously from behind her.

Akane turned around with wide eyes and stared at the woman. It was impossible for it to not be who she thought it was. The woman had the same ruby eyes as Tomoe, the same hair, white on top and black on bottom, if it wasn't her then there was something wrong with the world…

"Hi, Aka-chan," she waved with a weak smile. "How've you been?"


	44. Chapter 44

"What is wrong with you two?" Akane hissed at the two sitting across from her in the booth. "Especially you," she fixed her eyes on Takeshi. "Did you even tell anyone?"

"Well… no…" he said after a pause, looking down at the table.

"Oh Gods," she sighed heavily as she shook her head. "Go talk to Jizouko-chan, she's probably started selling your stuff by now," she shooed the man away with a wave of her hand.

Takeshi opened his mouth and was about to say something but stopped short when Akane turned her green eyes on him.

"Right," he said softly as he got up from the table to leave.

"I've always wondered why you stayed as a Jounin," Tomoe chuckled softly.

Akane turned her eyes to the woman next who shrunk back slightly under their intensity.

"Why're you here?" she demanded harshly.

"You heard Takeshi, he found me and brought me back," the red eyed woman shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't shit with me Ureshi," she growled as she narrowed her green eyes. "We both know you could've stayed missing if you wanted to."

"You caught me," Tomoe sighed in mock defeat, "I got tired of being dead so I came back to life, you wanna go see my shallow grave?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you in right now," Akane said as she leaned over the table.

"I wanted to talk to Jizouko-chan," she said after a while.

"Not good enough," the red head grunted as she got up from the table and started to walk out of the tea shop.

"I found her uncle," the woman called out after her, causing the red head to turn around and walk back.

"You did what?" she asked, not quite believing what she had just heard.

"I found out a lot about her," Tomoe smiled knowingly, "who family was, what her real name is, where her home is…"

"Her home is here now!" Akane yelled angrily at her old team mate. "We're her family now! You used to be too, but then you up and disappeared!"

"You know as well as anyone that there's no replacement for your real parents!" the woman shot back, raising her voice as well.

The green eyed woman fell silent for a moment before starting up again in a dangerously calm tone. "Out of respect for our former relationship, if you leave now I won't report you to the Elders," she offered as she placed her palms on the table and leaned forward. "If I so much as suspect that you talked to Jizouko-chan I will personally drag you into prison by your multicolored hair, do you understand?"

* * *

><p>Jizouko sighed as she wiggled her toes stretched out in front of her. She had officially run out of things to do to keep her mind occupied so now all her thoughts were catching up to her.<p>

"Jizouko-chan!"

She turned at the sound of her name and saw Naruto's familiar orange clad figure running up to her.

"Hey, Naruto-kun, what's up?" she greeted with a forced smile.

"Sasuke-kun's awake!" he said excitedly, "Come on, you have to go see him!"

"Do I have to?" she sighed playfully, "I'm _so_ comfy here…"

"Come on!" he grunted as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

* * *

><p>Naruto peeked cautiously into the doorway to Sasuke's room causing Jizouko to roll her eyes at him.<p>

"Why're you just standing out here?" she scoffed as she brushed past him, "Aren't you the one who dragged me here?"

She too stopped in the doorway when she saw Sakura standing up beside Sasuke's bed and apple slices on the floor. It looked like the two had gotten into some kind of confrontation right before she and Naruto had shown up.

Sasuke quickly turned his head at her voice and glared at the two standing in the doorway.

"What?" Naruto gasped.

"Why're you staring at us like that?" Jizouko asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke said as he tilted his head downward.

"What?" the blonde replied warily.

"Fight me, now!" the dark haired boy ordered.

"Huh?" Naruto grunted, "What're you babbling about? You're still recovering…"

"Shut up and fight me!" Sasuke growled as he looked up again.

Jizouko stiffened slightly at the sight of his Sharingan eyes along with everyone else in the room.

"You thought you helped me," he scoffed as he shook his head. "That foolish Godaime Hokage or whoever, butting into other people's business," he muttered as he started to climb off the hospital bed.

"What?" Naruto gritted his teeth.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong with you?" Sakura asked in a shaky voice, "Naruto-kun, tell him to stop! I mean…" she trailed off when Jizouko placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"It's best if we stay out of this," she said softly as the air in the room grew tense.

"Well then," Naruto smirked at his male teammate, "I was thinking about it too…"

"Hey, you two," Sakura called out weakly, "cut it out! Okay?"

"Come with me," Sasuke ordered as he motioned his head towards the door.

Naruto grunted as he followed him out of the room, the apple sliced getting crushed underfoot. Sakura looked sadly at the remains of the fruit while Jizouko rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Come on," she said as she tried to pull the pink haired girl away from the scene, "let's go do something."

Instead of going along with her Sakura dashed out of the room after her teammates.

"Sakura-Chan!" Jizouko called after her as she too ran out of the room.


	45. Chapter 45

Jizouko watched Naruto and Sasuke fight through the open door to the roof as she futilely tried to drag Sakura away from the scene. She knew the young girl would try to stop the fight between her two friends, and she knew that the inexperienced kunoichi wouldn't stand a chance if she did try. She recognized the look on Sasuke's face; it was the look she wore when she demanded that Takashi fight her all those months ago.

"_Fight me, Takashi," Jizouko demanded of her male team mate, "like you mean it."_

"_Ji-chan, are you sure?" Mirai asked softly, trying to get her to think her decision through. "I mean…"_

"_Now now Mirai-chan," Takashi placated, "Ji-chan didn't say anything about you participating, so don't worry about it. Everything will be fine…"_

Jizouko winced as the flames from Sasuke's fire jutsu sent a wave of heat outwards, shielding her face from small debris. Her hand on Sakura's shoulder tightened its grip ever so slightly when the dust stirred up by the jutsu settled to reveal Naruto with a sphere of chakra swirling in his hand.

Sasuke's own hand lit up with chakra in response, electricity visibly crackling in the air around him.

"Stop…" Sakura whimpered as she stared with wide eyes. "You two stop! Stop!" she screamed as she broke out of Jizouko's grip and took off across the roof.

"Sakura-chan!" Jizouko tried to call her back but it was no good.

"Both of you! Stand down!" the green eyed kunoichi ordered.

Right when it seemed like the two boys were going to hit her with their attacks there was a flurry of movement and they were sent flying towards two water tanks. Standing over Sakura in the middle of the roof was Kakashi, still poised from redirecting Naruto and Sasuke. Jizouko ducked back into the doorway before either of the two Genin made contact with the metal structures to keep out of the way of any debris that may fall.

"Hey! You two!" Kakashi barked angrily as he stood up straight. "What are you doing on the roof of the hospital? If you're fighting, you're getting too heated, both of you."

Jizouko poked her head cautiously out of the doorway and craned it upwards so she could see the two boys. Sasuke grunted as he pulled his arm out of the now warped metal of the water tank sending a torrent of water down onto the roof. Naruto on the other hand got to his feet from where he had landed using the tank to help regain his balance, only a trickle of water ran out onto the roof.

"Why are you so obsessed with your superiority complex, Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi sighed as he sat atop the tank Sasuke had damaged. "That level of Chidori just now isn't an appropriate technique to be used here against your own comrade… Were you trying to kill Naruto-kun?"

Jizouko inhaled sharply at the accusation. Sasuke would never do anything like that, would he?

"Where did such immature behavior come from?" Kakashi sighed disappointedly as she shook his head at his student's actions.

Sasuke grunted as he jumped over the high fence surrounding the roof, a thump sounded when he landed on a nearby overhang. Jizouko stood for a moment debating on what she should do. She could ignore what she had just seen and carry on with her day or she could attempt to find out what was wrong with the Uchiha she had thought that she knew so well.

She turned quickly on her heel before taking off down the stairs concentrating on Sasuke's chakra so she wouldn't lose him.

* * *

><p>Jizouko sighed heavily as she walked into the living room of the apartment she shared with Takeshi. She had lost Sasuke's chakra when she tried to get through the crowded marketplace.<p>

"Note to self," she muttered as she trudged towards the kitchenette, "work on tracking jutsu."

"Note to Ji-chan," a man's voice grunted behind her, "if any of my stuff is missing, I'll kill you."

Jizouko turned around slowly, not daring to believe her ears until her eyes had confirmed what they had heard.

"Take-nii!" she grinned widely as she launched herself at the man and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I thought you died!"

"I'm serious," Takeshi frowned, ignoring her embrace for the moment. "If anything is missing you better run for it…" he trailed off before sighing and returning her hug. "I missed you too."

* * *

><p>"Now remember, Ji-chan," Takeshi started in a mock-fatherly tone, "if I'm not back in a month that <em>doesn't<em> give you the right to go through my stuff."

"Tch, just leave already, you loser!" Jizouko grunted as she pushed against the light armor covering his torso. "And remember to come back…" she added as an afterthought, refusing to look up and meet his green eyes.

"Hey," he chuckled as he lifted her chin up so he could look into her violet hues. "This is me we're talking about!"

"Exactly!" she scoffed as she batted his hand away.

Takeshi just laughed as he pulled on his ANBU mask before melting into the darkness of the trees just beyond the gate. A small half-smile crossed Jizouko's face as she turned to leave from seeing Takeshi off on his latest mission. She thought it was a little bit unfair that he had to leave so soon after getting back, but she understood that the village couldn't appear weak after the Sandaime's death and that meant that all shinobi would be receiving a lot of missions for the foreseeable future.

She was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of an approaching pair of footsteps. It was so late at night that she didn't expect anyone to be awake; she was even surprised that she was awake for that matter…

"Sasuke-kun?" she frowned when she recognized him walking around a bend in the road she was on. "What're you doing up?"

Sasuke stopped walking for a moment and looked her over, as if he was sizing her up for a fight.

"Are you going to try and stop me too?" he asked finally in an icy tone.

"What?" she blinked in confusion, "Why would I do that?"

"Funny," he scoffed as he started walking again. "I thought you would for sure…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, stepping into his path. "You're leaving the village?" she questioned when she noticed his back pack.

"Yes," he said calmly, closing his eyes, ready for her to try and convince him against it.

"Why?"

"There's nothing for me here."

"Nothing? What about your team? Your friends?"

"What about them?"

"Don't they mean anything to you?"

"No, they will only hold me back from my goal."

"The one where you avenge your clan?" Jizouko asked softly, she had spent enough time with him to hear about his goal. "Look, I know how you feel but…"

"You know how I feel? I doubt it," Sasuke snapped, cutting her off midsentence.

"You're right, I don't," she admitted, her fists clenching as her voice rose slightly. "Because I never knew my real family I must not know what it feels like to lose them." She should have stopped there when a shocked expression crossed his features, but she couldn't stop the surge of anger that had been welling up in her for as long as she could remember.

"I've had to burry people that I've looked up to as well!" she saw Hideo's kind face smiling at her behind her eyelids she had shut against the tears that were sure to come. "You have no idea what I've been through! You think you've felt loneliness? Try not knowing if your parents even _wanted_ you! Do you know what that feels like?" she paused for a moment to take a deep, shaky breath.

"No, you don't!" she answered for him, "Because you've lived here all your life! You had a mother! A father! A brother! Aunts! Uncles! People who loved you from the very beginning! You still have people who care about you, but you're too busy feeling sorry for yourself! You're so fixated on your past that you can hardly see your present! So you know what? Leave!" she ordered as she opened her eyes so she could glare at him as hot, angry tears fell down her cheeks. "Just leave and then you'll see what you had and it'll be too late to get it back! I hope I never have to look at you again, you selfish bastard!" she screamed finally before rushing past him as furious sobs wracked her body, making sure to hit him with her shoulder along the way.


	46. Chapter 46

How long had she been running? She didn't know for sure, but the burning in her legs told her that it had been a while. Jizouko finally slowed to a stop as her chest heaved with a mixture of pants and dry sobs.

Why had she said those things? He didn't _need_ to know about that stuff, but it had just sort of spilled out after her first sentence.

"Stupid!" she growled to herself as she punched a nearby tree.

The thick trunk shook from the impact, a few splinters embedded into her knuckles as retribution for her actions. She hissed slightly as she drew her hand back and held it to her chest, her blood staining her shirt.

"Stupid tree! Stupid Uchiha and his stupid revenge!" she muttered darkly to herself as she picked the pieces of wood out of her skin. _Stupid me…_

The sound of a bird's song brought her out of the angry silence that had fallen over her as she ripped pieces of her shirt to use as bandages for her wound. She quickly looked up to search for the source but ended up instead looking around in confusion.

Aside from the tree she had punched she hadn't really noticed her surroundings, and now that she was looking around she found herself in an abandoned part of the village that was beginning to be reclaimed by the surrounding forest.

_Why did I come here?_ She wondered as she started to walk forward looking at the broken buildings around her.

_Because you were thinking about it, idiot_, the logical part of her brain scoffed at her.

Jizouko frowned slightly, what _had_ she been thinking about while she was running? She stopped walking and watched a rusty swing creak with the early morning breeze.

She thought she heard the faint sound of children's laughter as she stared at the abandoned play ground stirred by the wind.

"_Don't play with her,"_ a snobbish voice echoed in her mind, _"she probably has rabies!"_

Then it clicked. She had been thinking about her past, so she had gone to the part of the village she had grown up in. She turned on her heel quickly to leave before any more voices from the past could be stirred up, but it was too late.

"_Is that her?"_

"_Yeah, I heard that she was abandoned in the forest."_

"_Who could blame her parents? She's such a wild child; they must have run out of options!"_

Tears started pricking at the corners of her eyes as she strode purposefully down the street.

"_Ha ha! You're such a freak! I bet you have fleas, too!"_

"_You call yourself a girl? You're barely even human!"_

Her fists clenched tightly as she fought the salty water threatening to roll down her cheeks. She sniffed lightly as she turned a corner, not really knowing where her feet were taking her. She came upon an open field and the tears doubled their efforts to break loose. Barely visible trough the waist-high grasses was the remains of a building.

"_She was the last one seen with Hideo-san; she must have started that fire!"_

_No!_ she protested, even though the voices couldn't hear her. _It wasn't me! There was a man! He must have done it!_

Her body finally came to a rest seated with her back pressed against a charred wall. She held her head in her hands and gave in to the tears, allowing them to flow in rivulets down her tanned cheeks.

* * *

><p>She must have dozed off, exhausted from the tears, because the next thing she felt was the sun beating down on her and something wet, warm, and rough on her cheek. Jizouko mumbled incoherently as she pushed whatever was against her cheek away and felt soft fur; it must have been a stray dog. The dog barked and started to pant, she could almost see its tail wagging furiously.<p>

"Go away," she grunted, her eyes still shut. "I don't want to play right now."

The dog whined and nudged her head with its wet nose.

"What?" she sighed in exasperation as she lifted her head and opened her eyes.

She saw it was the large white dog sitting in front of her with an expectant look in his eyes.

"Why're you here?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "Don't you have a lost master to look for or something?"

The dog whined again as it lay down on its belly and looked up at her with wide, dark eyes. For a moment she thought she saw Sasuke's coal-black orbs when she looked into the dog's eyes.

"Go away," she ordered, looking away quickly. She didn't need any reminders of that selfish bastard right now.

The dog remained where it was and she could feel its stare on her skin.

"I said scram, you mangy mutt!" she yelled as she kicked out at the dog, catching it on the snout with the sole of her shoe.

The dog yelped in pain and she immediately regretted kicking it.

"I'm sorry," she sighed as she reached a hand out towards the animal. "I didn't mean it; I'm just a bit upset right now…"

The dog eyed her hand suspiciously for a moment before it pressed the top of its head against her palm. Jizouko hadn't noticed how cold her hands were, but now they felt like ice cubes when compared to the dog's radiant heat.

"I'm sorry," she said again softly, and in her heart she knew she was apologizing to more than just the dog.


	47. Chapter 47

Jizouko had lapsed into a silence as she sat stroking the dog's long white fur. She could no longer feel the anger that had burned so strongly in her earlier, just an aching emptiness that she had become so accustomed to.

"I wish Mi-chan wasn't mad at me," she confessed as she drew her knees up to her chest. "She would know exactly what to say…"

The dog whined and rested its chin on her knees, staring up at her with its deep black eyes.

"Makoto-kun!" a voice called out and the dog looked up sharply before giving a bark.

Jizouko twisted around to find the source and saw Isamu walking towards her.

"There you are," he sighed when he got closer. "Come on, we're leaving. Thank you for looking after him, Jizouko-chan," he said to her with a nod.

"No problem," she said with a small smile, she hadn't known that she was taking care of the dog…

"What're you doing out here, if you don't mind me asking," he frowned as he looked around at the overgrown weeds.

"Nothing," she said as she got up, giving the dog one last pat on the head.

Isamu arched an eyebrow at this, clearly not believing her but dropping the subject none the less.

"It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we get to meet again someday," he said graciously with a bow before turning to leave.

Jizouko blinked a few times as she made a face, what a weird way to say goodbye… Her eyes wandered to the tree line, she thought she felt someone's gaze resting heavily on her. Her eyes widened when they came to rest on a woman's face, barely distinguishable in the shadows. The world seemed to slow down as her violet eyes locked on to the woman's ruby orbs and a slight breeze stirred the woman's two toned hair. The top layer snow-white and the bottom pitch-black.

"Tomoe?" she asked softly, breaking the spell that had been cast on the area.

The woman smiled and turned around, melting in with the shadows cast by the trees.

"Tomoe!" she called out as she took off after the woman, daring to hope that it was who she thought it was.

When she got to the trees there was no trace of the woman at all, not even broken grass where she had been standing.

"Are you okay, Jizouko-chan?" Isamu asked as he came up behind her.

"No," she said, it must have just been her imagination. "I'm fine."

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat cross-legged on her floor as she packed her worn messenger bag. No, she wasn't planning on leaving the village; she was just packing in anticipation for the missions she was sure to be assigned.<p>

She still didn't have much to pack. Just a few sets of clothes, extra weapons, and soldier pills; she still had a fairly large stash of them despite Takeshi's best efforts. She looked over her now bare window sill and noticed a scrap of paper she had passed over before.

"What's this?" she wondered aloud as she picked it up and scanned its contents.

**You have questions, I have answers**, it read cryptically. **Come to the Ryuu no Sebone mountains** and that was it.

She flipped it over and looked at the back with a frown, there was no more writing on it. She had definitely heard that name before, but where?

_Isn't that where I was found?_ She mused as she thought about it.

"_We found her in the Ryuu no Sebone mountains, just wandering around…"_

"_Aren't those supposed to be really dangerous? How could she have survived on her own?"_

She stared down at the paper for a long moment, mulling over her choices. She could go there and get the answers promised, or she could stay in Konoha and continue to wonder. With a solution presented to her it was hard to say no, but her village needed her right now.

_Maybe later_, she sighed as she pocketed the paper.

* * *

><p>There was a war being waged in Jizouko between her heart and her head. Her head told her that the right thing was to stay with her village in its time of need. Her heart burned with the need for answers that she couldn't find in Konoha. She had to admit, they both had very convincing arguments…<p>

_Screw it!_ She thought exasperatedly as she pulled out a coin, she knew exactly how she would solve this.

"Heads I go, tails I stay," she muttered before flicking it into the air and catching it.

It was heads.

_Good thing I already have my bag packed…_

* * *

><p>Jizouko stood outside the Akazaki household picking at the flowers she held in her hands. They were vibrant purple wildflowers that she used to pick all the time. The paper she had wrapped them in crinkled slightly as she shifted them in her hands, tying her hitai-sate around them to keep them together. She wouldn't need it.<p>

It was so late at night that even the crickets had gone to sleep, causing a deep silence to fall over the house. Her resolve faltered for a moment, was she really going to let a coin toss decide her choices? She stared down at the flowers for a long moment. It wasn't too late to turn back…

_No_, she thought as she looked back up at the door with a fire burning in her eyes. A chance like this might never come again, and she would be damned if she spent the rest of her life regretting not following it.

She bent down and placed the flowers on the welcome mat along with a folded piece of paper before taking one last look at the familiar house.

"Goodbye," she whispered as a soft breeze tugged at her short hair. "I'll come back," she promised as she turned around and started walking.


	48. Chapter 48

Akazaki Takashi was furious to say the least, but it was understandable. How would you feel if you came back from a long absence to find that your two best friends had gotten into a fight and one of them wasn't even in the village anymore? He would never admit that Jizouko and Mirai were his best friends though.

He didn't even knock before storming into the Yume household, clutching the hitai-ate that had been left on his front porch tightly.

"Takashi-kun? What're you doing here?" he ignored Kyoko's question as he stomped up the stairs to Mirai's bedroom.

He slammed the door open, made his way over to her bed, and ripped the covers away to reveal his blonde team mate.

"Takashi? What the Hell?" Mirai shrieked as she grabbed for the blankets.

He didn't trust himself to speak so he threw the hitai-ate at her instead.

"What? Is this…?" she gaped as she picked it up.

He nodded stiffly.

"You don't think _I_ had anything to do with this, do you?" she looked up at him helplessly.

"Get ready," he finally said as he turned around to leave the room, "we're going to go get her."

"There's nothing you could do to change her mind," a new voice cut in.

Takashi halted in his movements when he saw a blonde woman leaning against the doorpost with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What do you mean?" he demanded as his eyes narrowed.

"I mean that she's set upon this course," the woman said as she matched Takashi's harsh look. "Maybe in another life things would be different, but not in this one. She's been hurt and needs time on her own to heal."

"How do you know? Have you ever met her? Do you even know her name?" Takashi frowned.

"It's because I never met her that I know these things," the woman scoffed as she pushed off the doorframe.

"I'm still going," he declared before looking back at Mirai. "You coming?"

Mirai remained silent as she looked down at her blankets.

"She won't be going anywhere," the woman said and Takashi fixed her with a cold look. "Her training starts today, whether she likes it or not. I trust you can find your way to the door, Akazaki."

A pregnant silence fell over the room as Takashi grabbed the hitai-ate and left the room, making sure to roughly push past the woman on his way out.

* * *

><p>"Are you really going to go through with this?" Ichiro asked as he watched Takashi pack his weapons' pouches.<p>

Takashi remained silent as he inspected a kunai.

"You know if you're gone too long both of you will be labeled as rouges…"

"I know," Takashi grunted as he attached a pouch to his belt.

"And still?"

"She would do the same in a heartbeat," he said as he stopped moving and stared at an old photo on his dresser.

"We can cover for you for maybe a week," Ichiro said after a pause, "but don't push it."

"Tell Kaa-san we're out training or something," Takashi suggested as he left the room.

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat at the edge of a small stream watching the fish swimming lazily in it. Who knew when the next time she would have meat would be, so she planned to catch two and save one for later. She wasn't very far from Konoha, not even a day if you were running, a little over two if you were walking. She had figured that it was a safe distance because she guessed that no one would be looking for her, not like they had been with Sasuke.<p>

_I wonder if anyone's even noticed_, she thought distractedly as her eyes locked onto a particularly large trout. She had just found breakfast.

Before she could reach out and grab the fish from the water there was a sharp cry as a bird snatched the fish in the blink of an eye. The bird landed on a low branch and began to tear into the fish's scales. She narrowed her eyes as she gave the bird her best dirty look. She recognized it as a hawk with light brown feathers now flecked with blood and silver scales sparkling in the morning sun.

She sighed as she stood up straight; she had stayed as long as she would let herself. She didn't bother consulting a map as she started on her journey again, she couldn't quite explain why, but she felt that she already knew the way.

The hawk let out another sharp cry before taking off again into the sky. Jizouko paused and watched its course and noted that it was flying towards the village.

_I better pick up the pace a bit…_

* * *

><p>"So that's where she's heading," Takashi murmured as he stroked the hawk's brown feathers. "Thank you," he said as he offered the bird a piece of meat.<p>

The hawk cried sharply before it pecked at the meat, downing it in a little less than ten seconds. It cried again as it spread out its wings and flew off into the treetops.

Takashi followed by jumping onto the branches and leaping from tree to tree, keeping the bird in sight. It was now only a matter of time until he caught up with her.


	49. Chapter 49

Jizouko sighed heavily as she popped yet another soldier pill into her mouth. Even though they did give her all the nutrients she needed, her stomach still craved real food. She had hardly stopped to drink water in the past few days, fully intent on escaping her pursuer; two guesses who that could be…

_I thought he'd still be training for the next few days…_she thought as she took a moment to breathe deeply.

A sharp cry broke her from her thoughts and she looked up to see the same hawk from before. She squared her shoulders as she looked the bird straight in its sharp green eyes.

"Tell him I'll be waiting," she said calmly before sitting down on a nearby rock.

* * *

><p>"So, she found you out," Takashi asked with a slight half-smile. "Why am I not surprised?"<p>

The hawk gave a sharp cry before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He sighed as he rolled his shoulders and continued through the trees. She was about three kilometers away; he could make it before nightfall.

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat staring into the small fire she had made to ward off the chill of the night, waiting for Takashi to show so she could put an end to this chase. The soft crunch of dead leaves behind her signaled his arrival and she stood up with her back still to him.<p>

"Takashi," she started as she began to turn around, "I –" but she didn't finish her sentence.

Instead of her green-eyed teammate she saw Isamu. What was he doing so far from civilization?

"Jizouko-chan?" he blinked his golden eyes with a slight frown. "What're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she said as she looked him over.

He wasn't dressed like he was going on a journey like most people would if they were found this deep in the wilderness. In fact, it looked like he was just out for an evening stroll.

"You first," he said as he assumed a confrontational stance.

"I…" she trailed off as she thought for a moment. She what? Was looking for someone who left a note on her windowsill? In truth she didn't know what she was doing out here, she should be back in Konoha where she belonged. She did belong there, right?

"I'm not sure," she admitted after a pause. "I thought I knew, but I don't know anymore…"

Isamu looked at her for a long moment before reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"My home is nearby, come and rest there," he offered.

Jizouko allowed herself to be led away as she gazed back at the fire she had made; maybe it was for the best if she didn't meet with Takashi. Her resolve to find answers would be shattered for sure if she did.

* * *

><p>Takashi angrily kicked at the glowing embers on the ground. He had been so close!<p>

"Stupid idiot!" he hissed to himself. Why did he believe even for a moment that she would stay in one place?

_I was a fool to even think that!_ He chastised himself as he looked around the clearing.

She could have gone in literally _any_ direction from where he was standing, and it didn't help that he couldn't sense her chakra nearby. True, she did have a strange chakra signature, but he had thought that he had grown sensitive to it over the years. Was she suppressing her chakra? Was she actually kilometers away by now? Again, he was a fool.

He glared at the sparks flying in the night air. No matter how he felt about it he had to return to Konoha; his time limit was up.

* * *

><p>Mirai sat on the couch in her living room, trying to figure out what exactly her mother was trying to teach her by drinking tea.<p>

"Why are we doing this?" she asked finally.

"It's to calm your inner turmoil," her mother said as she sipped at the steaming liquid in her cup.

"What inner turmoil?" she asked sharply as she made a face.

"Oh don't even start that with me," her mother scoffed as she set down her cup with a thunk. "We both know that you're upset. And since you won't tell my anything you get to sit here and think about it."

Mirai glared at the blonde woman over the rim of her cup, but continued to drink anyways.

"I'm done," she said after a while, breaking the tense silence that had fallen between them. "Now what?"

"Gove me your cup," her mother ordered with an outstretched hand.

Mirai complied and crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for what would come next. Her mother inspected the bottom of the cup for a moment before refilling it and handing it back to her.

"Drink," she ordered as she sat back in her seat.

"What?" Mirai demanded, "I just did!"

"Do as I say," her mother said in a deadly calm. "Drink."

Mirai glared at the woman as she contemplated spilling the hot tea on her. She decided instead to drain the contents of her cup in one quick gulp.

"There," she grunted as she set the cup down on the table, wincing at the bitter taste combined with the temperature of the liquid.

Her mother leaned forward and refilled the cup.

"Again," she ordered.

"Okay, really?" Mirai demanded as she stood up from her seat. "I thought you said that you were going to train me! What is this? Are you trying to see how much I can drink?"

"For my training you must be calm and composed," her mother explained evenly as she too stood from her seat. "Right now you are neither, so drink the tea and shut up."

The tension in the air was palpable as the two matched gazes, one furious and one calm; the frustration barely visible beneath the surface.

"Whatever," Mirai grunted as she turned around to leave.

"Where will you go?" her mother asked as she reached for the door. "Your so-called friends are gone."

"It doesn't matter," she said as she jerked the door open angrily, "so long as I get away from you!" she punctuated her statement with a slam of the door behind her.


	50. Chapter 50

Wildflower: a Very Special Valentine's Day Special

* * *

><p>Jizouko sat on a bench watching the couples walking arm-in-arm through the park. She thought it was so weird that they only acted this way one day a year. February 14th sure had a strange effect on people…<p>

"Hey, Jizouko-chan," she recognized Haruno Sakura walked up to her with a cloud hanging over her head.

"Hi, Sakura-chan," she said happily, maybe her friend would cheer up if she acted happy.

"Don't tell me you have someone, too!" Sakura groaned as she flopped down onto the bench beside her.

"What're you talking about?" Jizouko asked with a slight frown.

"A Valentine! Everyone in the village has one but me!" Sakura cried as tears slid down her face.

"Oh, that," Jizouko dismissed the subject. "Nah, I don't have one either," she said as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Eh? How is that possible?" Sakura asked, sitting up right. "There has to be someone you plan on doing something with today!"

"Well," Jizouko started as she thought of her schedule for the day, "I'm going over to Taka-kun's later so we can eat the chocolates that girls get him… but other than that I can't think of anyone I'm hanging out with…"

"So is Akazaki-kun your Valentine?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked with an expectant look. "Is he?"

"If by Valentine you mean boyfriend, then no," she shot down the idea.

"So you're alone as well?" Sakura looked strangely pleased at the thought…

"No," she shook her head, "I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"How is it possible that you don't have a Valentine, Jizouko-chan?" her friend practically screeched. "If you can't get someone then there's no hope for the likes of me!"

"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?" Jizouko asked as she arched an eyebrow at the girl's actions.

"Well I'm going to change that!" Sakura continued, paying no heed to Jizouko's question. "I will help you find a Valentine today; and then there will be hope for me!"

Before she knew what was happening Jizouko was pulled off the park bench as Sakura ran off with a death grip on her wrist.

Jizouko sighed and went along with it; this must be what Valentine's Day did to Sakura…

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan… why are we doing this?" Jizouko asked in confusion.<p>

"Hush, Jizouko-chan," Sakura scolded as she continued to fuss over her hair. "I'm going to find you a Valentine today if it's the last thing I do!"

Jizouko shifted in her seat uncomfortably, something told her that this wasn't going to end well for her.

"How do you plan on doing that?" she asked after a while, maybe Sakura would give up if she realized that she didn't have a plan.

"I'm going to introduce you to all the guys I know," the pink-haired girl said with a determined light in her eyes. "I just know one of them is perfect for you."

"Okay," Jizouko shrugged her shoulders; maybe this wouldn't end too badly…

* * *

><p>"So uh… who's this, Sakura-chan?" Jizouko asked nervously as she shifted under the brown-hired boy's gaze.<p>

"This is Nara Shikamaru," Sakura declared, "Shikamaru-kun, this is Moriyama Jizouko."

"Hi," she greeted the boy.

Shikamaru just yawned tiredly as he waved his hand. Jizouko watched in mild amusement as Shikamaru proceeded to walk away from the two.

"I don't think you plan is working," she whispered into Sakura's ear.

"I guess Shikamaru-kun's just not your type," the pinkette shrugged her shoulders. "Come on, I know who you should meet next!"

* * *

><p>"Kiba-kun!" Sakura called out to a hooded boy not far in front of them. "Hey!" she waved her arm wildly to get his attention when he turned around.<p>

"Hi, Sakura-chan," the boy greeted as he slowed his pace to match theirs. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Jizouko-chan," she said as she nudged said girl towards Kiba.

"Oh yeah," he said in recognition, "I remember you from the Chunin Exams! You're really strong, would you like to train together sometime?" he asked with a hopeful look.

"Sure," Jizouko smiled, "when's good for you?"

"Why not today?" Sakura suggested before adding quickly, "If you're not doing anything, that is…"

"Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile, "I already have plans. Maybe another time."

"Okay," Jizouko smiled back, "I'll look forward to it!"

"Well, we have to go now, Kiba-kun," Sakura cut in, "it was good to see you, though!"

The next few hours passed in a similar fashion. Every one of the guys that Sakura had introduced Jizouko to didn't seem to be interested in starting a romance with her. Not that she had a problem with it, she just felt bad because Sakura always looked so let down when they said they had plans.

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan," Jizouko started as the two sat on a bench, "why are you so intent on pairing me up with someone?"<p>

"Because I think that Jizouko-chan shouldn't be alone today!" Sakura explained with an earnest look, "Nobody should be alone on Valentine's Day…" she trailed off as she let her head hang low.

"Well that's a dumb reason," Jizouko scoffed and Sakura's head snapped up to look at her.

"What are you talking about?" the pinkette practically screamed. "Today is a celebration of love! What have you got if you don't have even that?"

"You never specified what kind," Jizouko pointed out. "I have plenty of love in my life already from my friends; you've proved that much today."

"I don't mean that kind of love," Sakura sighed heavily as she shook her head. "I mean like the kind that your parents have!"

"I wouldn't know," she said softly as she turned her head away. "And besides," she continued before Sakura could say anything, "if I really wanted that I could have it."

"Really?" Sakura blinked in surprise, "Who?"

"That doesn't matter," Jizouko brushed the question, "and the same goes for you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked down at her hands and Jizouko took this chance to take her leave. She got up from the bench and said goodbye before leaving for Takashi's. She was sure there were plenty of love-sick girls who had left him cards and chocolates today, Valentine's Days did have a strange effect on people, after all.


	51. Chapter 51

Jizouko followed Isamu through the tall trees a few paces behind him. She needed some room to think.

Why was she even out here in the first place? Because Konoha didn't need her? Who was she to say if the village needed her or not? Her resolve to find answers wavered as she thought of all the people she had left behind.

"You can stay here for the night," Isamu said as he turned his head over his shoulder slightly.

She looked up from her feet to see a small cottage nestled into a small clearing. She only nodded in response before looking back down. She felt so lost…

"Isamu-kun, where have you been?" a woman's voice asked as warm light spilled out onto the ground in front of them. "And who's that…" the woman trailed off, causing Jizouko to look up.

"Aneki?" she whispered with wide eyes when she recognized the woman. "Wha?"

* * *

><p>Takashi didn't know how he would be able to face his brothers. Jizouko had been just as important to them as she had been to him; she was like their sister…<p>

He would also have to tell the Yumes, that wasn't a task he was looking forward to either.

He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before opening the door to his home. He tried to be as silent a possible as he took off his sandals and made his way up the stairs to his room. Too bad for him he lived with two ANBU Nins.

"I take it you couldn't find her," Ichiro said as he looked down at him from the top of the stairs.

Takashi looked away as he brushed past his older brother.

"You tried your best," Jiro said as he placed a hand on his shoulder, "that's all we could've asked for."

"I was so close," Takashi whispered as he clenched his fists.

"She'll come back," Ichiro assured him as he too placed a hand on his shoulder, "she always did."

_But when?_ He asked silently as he shook his head and went into his room.

* * *

><p>Mirai finally decided to talk to someone about what was going on. Unfortunately for her the only person available was her little brother.<p>

"What's wrong, Aneki?" Kako asked, looking up at her with his clear blue eyes.

She thought for a moment as she smoothed his hair down, what _was_ wrong?

"How do you feel about Okaa-san being back, Kako-chan?" she asked finally.

The young boy shrugged his shoulders before answering, "Ever since Kaa-chan came back Aneki has been really sad, why?"

She stopped and pondered this, should she tell him?

"Well," she started with a sigh, "when Okaa-san left I was really hurt, and I didn't know what to do. If it wasn't for Jizou-nee I don't know what I would've done…" she trailed off.

_Jizouko_, she sighed internally as she thought of her friend. Why had she driven her away? Was it too late to say she was sorry?

"Have you told her thank you?" Kako asked innocently as he tilted his head.

"No," Mirai shook her head sadly, "I never got the chance to."

"You should," he said, turning his head back. "Kyo-aneki always says that you should thank people that do nice things for you."

"Yeah," she smiled softly at the boy's advice. _If only I could…_


End file.
